August 2020 · Jess in the Kitchen

Easy Italian Zucchini Pizza Bake

Last Updated on August 18, 2022 by Jess

Some years, my zucchini plants hardly produce. Other years, they can’t stop. This year, it’s an “other” year and I keep harvesting away! Fortunately, zucchinis have a great staying power and they can hang out on my counter until I am ready to cook with them. This week, I whipped up this Italian Zucchini Pizza Bake for dinner and everyone devoured it!

In terms of prep, it takes a little bit of time so you will need to start about an hour before you want to eat. It does include a fair amount of wait and bake time, so don’t despair. You too can whip this up quickly.

I love it because it is full of vegetables. If you’ve followed me for any time, you know I try to sneak extra servings of vegetables into most everything I cook for my family. If I am honest, my kids have been veggie lovers from day one, but truly, no one complains about the extra servings of vegetables. I mean, they do make fun of me, but that’s with love…I think.

Now, if you are still harvesting zucchini, you must give this a try. In our household, we were in agreement that you couldn’t even tell that there wasn’t a carb in the dish, which is big win for my kids. (We definitely are not afraid of all the bread and pasta in our home).

Enough talk. Let’s get cooking that Italian Zucchini Pizza Bake!

Your Ingredients

4 cups shredded zucchini
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
½ cup grated Parmesan
3 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella and cheddar make a good combination), divided
½ teaspoon each of: dried basil, dried oregano, and garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ground Italian sausage (we use Italian seasoned ground venison that we grind at home)
Olive oil
½ cup diced onion
½ tablespoon minced garlic
15 ounces Italian seasoned tomato sauce (or 1 ¾ cup)
½ cup diced green pepper

Your steps

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9 by 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside. Place shredded zucchini in a strainer and sprinkle with salt. Allow the zucchini to sit for 10 minutes. Press out all extra moisture, the more the better. (I tend to quit early. It’s fine, but will leave you with a more watery bake when you’re done).

Before I continue, a comment on the cheese. We have a great dairy nearby that does a 3 cheese blend of mozzarella, provolone, and yellow cheddar (80/10/10). That’s the cheese I use for this bake if I have it on hand. Feel free to play with this though. A true Wisconsinite knows that the cheese possibilities are endless. And if you aren’t a Wisconsinite, you may just be a Wisconsinite at heart 😉

Back to cooking…

Combine zucchini, eggs, basil, oregano, garlic powder, pepper, parmesean cheese, and 1 ½ cups of shredded cheese. Mix well. Press into the prepared 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1- 1 ½ teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and minced garlic. Cook for 3 minutes. Add ground sausage (and if you can’t find ground Italian sausage, any ground meat will do. Again, play with it!). Cook until no longer pink. Drain if necessary. Stir in tomato sauce.

Spread meat mixture over the zucchini crust. Cover with remaining cheese and sprinkle diced green pepper on top. Feel free to sprinkle a little more oregano, basil, or even some parsley on top. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Now, you can 100% serve it here. However, I LOVE browned cheese. I always quickly heat up the broiler in the top of my oven to 450-500 degrees, toss my finished bake under it, and watch it carefully. Let it cook 2-3 minutes and your cheese will be PERFECT. Serve it up with, of course, some additional vegetables for a side and maybe some garlic toast if you need that carb. I know I do 😉

Sprinkle with salt. Drip, drip, drip out the moisture.

Looking for other ideas for dinner? Check out my cooking page below!

Cooking

Easy Italian Zucchini Pizza Bake

Zucchini is the star but you'd never know it's there in this gluten free Italian Zucchini Pizza Bake. Adults and kids alike will devour it!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings

Ingredients

4 cups shredded zucchini
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
½ cup grated parmesan
3 cups shredded cheese mozzarella and cheddar make a good combination, divided
½ teaspoon each of: dried basil dried oregano, and garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ground Italian sausage
Olive oil
½ cup diced onion
½ tablespoon minced garlic
15 ounces Italian seasoned tomato sauce or 1 ¾ cup
½ cup diced green pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9 by 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
Place shredded zucchini in a strainer and sprinkle with salt. Allow the zucchini to sit for 10 minutes.
Press out all extra moisture, the more the better.
Combine zucchini, eggs, basil, oregano, garlic powder, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and 1 ½ cups of shredded cheese. Mix well. Press into the prepared 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 1- 1 ½ teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and minced garlic. Cook for 3 minutes.
Add ground sausage. Cook until no longer pink. Drain if necessary.
Stir in tomato sauce.
Spread meat mixture over the zucchini crust.
Cover with remaining cheese and sprinkle diced green pepper on top. Feel free to sprinkle a little more oregano, basil, or even some parsley on top.
Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Keyword Gluten Free, Italian, Italian bake, zucchini, zucchini pizza

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Other zucchini Inspiration!

Check out any of the recipes below to help use up the rest of that zucchini!

August 30, 2020August 18, 2022

Jess2 Comments

Zesty Bread and Butter Pickles

Last Updated on August 5, 2022 by Jess

What’s going on in the Jess’s kitchen lately? Let me tell you, so much processing and canning of vegetables from the garden. Most recently, we have had a bumper crop of cucumbers. I have been embracing serving them fresh from the garden, but we can’t quite keep up with them still. When that happens, I love to create some pickles; this week, it was bread and butter pickles that were to die for!

Until recently, I would have scoffed at bread and butter pickles. Pickles should be full of dill and garlic, and that’s it. At least that’s the way I used to feel. I’m not certain what turned me on to bread and butter (maybe a trip to the farmer’s market?), but once I had them, I was hooked. I love the combination of all the spices that mix to make a sweet pickle with a kick.

A transition, covid style.

However, I had never done them truly by scratch. I had always purchased Mrs. Wage’s Zesty Bread and Butter mix. Family and friends raved about them and the Mrs. Wage’s mixes are a cinch to through together so I stuck with them.

Then COVID hit and I especially loved the challenge of cooking with the items I had on hand. It just so happens that I had all the spices needed to make “from scratch” bread and butter pickles from the Ball canning book, so I had to give it a try. The results? Spectacular. I could eat these pickles all day and they truly are a special treat you might not know you love…yet. And lucky for you, I am going to share the recipe below 🙂 Give it a try!

Your Ingredients

4 pounds pickling cucumbers
2 pounds onions
⅓ cup pickling salt
Ice cubes
3 cups vinegar, 5% acidity
2 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons whole mustard seed
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Your Utensils

Water bath canner with rack and lid
Eight pint jars with lids and rings (wide or narrow mouth)
Large, non reactive kettle to cook the cucumbers and onions in the pickling brine

Before you begin…

If you’re new to canning, be sure to check out Ball’s Book of Canning or The National Center for Home Food Preservation for more detailed information. I will give you the low down, but it will be short and sweet. You will want to read up more, I promise 🙂

Let’s Get Canning!

To begin, trim both ends of cucumbers. As you are doing so, slice into ¼ inch slices. In addition, slice the onions into thin slices. Layer ⅓ of the cucumbers and onions in a large bowl. Cover with ⅓ of the canning salt. Repeat two more times. Top the final layer with ice cubes. Allow the bowl to sit for 1 ½ hours.

After approximately one hour, begin to prepare jars, lids, and rings by washing and keeping warm. I generally set the jars in the rack of canner and have it rest above the water. Begin heating the water bath canner (make sure water will be at least one inch above jars once submerged). It is better to have too much water than too little.

After the cucumbers and onions have rested, rinse with cold water and allow to drain. Combine vinegar, sugar, and spices in a large non-reactive kettle. Heat over a medium heat, slowly reaching a boil. Add drained pickles and onions. Cook until the liquid returns to a boil. Remove from heat.

Time to finish it up !

Ladle cucumbers, onions, and liquid into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Be sure to equally distribute the pickling brine into each jar. Wipe jar rim with a damp, clean cloth. Put lids and rings on, tightening to finger tip tight. Lower into canner, raising heat and bringing to a rolling boil. Process for 15 min, adjusting for altitude (if over 1000 feet). Remove the canner from heat, and allow jars to rest 5 min. Remove from canner and allow to cool at least 12 hours before storing jars. Any jars that do not seal can go straight into the refrigerator for you to enjoy in the next few weeks.

There is no need to tighten rings. In fact, it is recommended they are removed entirely while storing. I have had enough pickles to fill anywhere from seven to eight pint jars. If you have extra, you can store them in a container with a lid and stick them right in the fridge!

Tools of the Trade

While you can truly can with any deep kettle and rack to keep the jars off the bottom of the canner, it is definitely easier if you invest in a few of the tools listed below!

Looking for more ways to savor summer in a jar? Check out the page below:

Canning and Perserving

Zesty Bread and Butter Pickles

A sweeter pickle with an extra kick of spice to make your taste buds dance!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 15

Resting Time 1 30

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Canning

Servings

Equipment

Water Bath Canner
pint canning jars with lids

Ingredients

4 pounds pickling cucumbers
2 pounds onions
⅓ cup pickling salt
Ice cubes
3 cups vinegar 5% acidity
2 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons mustard seed
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

Trim both ends of cucumbers and slice into ¼ inch slices. Slice the onions into thin slices.
Layer ⅓ of the cucumbers and onions in a large bowl. Cover with ⅓ of the canning salt. Repeat two more times.
Top the final layer with ice cubes. Allow the bowl to sit for 1 ½ hours.
After approximately one hour, begin to prepare jars, lids, and rings by washing and keeping warm. Begin heating the water bath canner over medium high heat.
After the cucumbers and onions have rested, rinse with cold water and allow to drain.
Combine vinegar, sugar, and spices in a large non-reactive kettle.
Heat over a medium heat, slowly reaching a boil. Add drained pickles and onions.
Cook until the liquid returns to a boil. Remove from heat.
Ladle cucumbers, onions, and liquid into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. (Be sure to equally distribute the pickling brine into each jar.)
Wipe jar rim with a damp, clean cloth. Put lids and rings on, tightening to fingertip tight.
Lower into canner, raising heat and bringing to a rolling boil.
Process for 15 min, adjusting for altitude (if over 1000 feet).
Remove the canner from heat, and allow jars to rest 5 min. Remove from the canner and allow to cool at least 12 hours before storing jars.

Keyword bread and butter pickles, Canning, from the garden, pickles, preserving

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

August 23, 2020August 5, 2022

Jess4 Comments

Pineapple Zucchini

Last Updated on July 8, 2021 by Jess

Everyone who plants zucchini over plants zucchini. And because of this, pineapple zucchini is a recipe everyone needs in their back pocket as they harvest their bounty from the garden.

Recently, I was visiting my mom and dad. I was out in the garden, helping my mother harvest her blueberries, beans, and other various vegetables. It’s funny, growing up I thought a few things:

Gardening was awful. I dreaded planting and harvesting. In particular, I hated cleaning the spinach and lettuce. However, it was always what my mom asked us to do for Mother’s Day: simply help her plant the garden.
My mom’s garden was HUGE! I couldn’t believe she would have such a big garden.

Now, I adore gardening. It is one of my favorite things and as the snow melts, I just itch to get in the soil and get dirt under my nails. I also have a garden that is approximately seven times the size of my mom’s. The way perspective changes as you grow older and wiser makes me giggle.

Now, why am I sharing this? Well, I do love my mom and this is a fun little memory. I also share because she has this small little garden. Because of this, she chooses not to grow zucchini. However, she will tell you it’s because if you have any sort of friend who grows zucchini, you will be gifted with zucchini after zucchini after zucchini. I mean, the plants are prolific, aren’t they?

Prolific zucchini plants are what lead me to pineapple zucchini. One particular year, we had a bumper crop of zucchini that often had “hidden zucchini.” You know, those zucchini (and cucumbers!) that you just don’t see under the leaves of the plant until they have grown past twice the size of ideal harvesting. I needed to do something with them. Fortunately, women in my canning group turned me on to the idea of pineapple zucchini.

What is it, you ask?

Well, it’s a water bath canned diced zucchini that takes on the flavor of pineapple with the texture of a pear. I have relatives on both sides of the family that special request the recipe. It makes for a fun addition to the breakfast table and can be used anywhere pineapple pieces are used recipe wise. If you have a lot of zucchini on your hands, I highly recommend you give it a try!

New to canning? Check out the Ball’s Book of Canning or The National Center for Home Food Preservation for more detailed information. I will give you the low down, but it will be short and sweet. You will want to read up more, I promise 🙂

Your Ingredients

16 cups cubed zucchini (be sure to peel and seed beforehand)
46 ounces canned unsweetened pineapple juice
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups bottled lemon juice

Your Utensils

Water bath canner with rack and lid
Eight pint jars with lids and rings (wide or narrow mouth)
Large, non reactive kettle to cook the zucchini in the liquids and sugar

Your steps

If you have not done so already, prepare the zucchini. To do so, peel skin. Cut the zucchini in half and scrap out any seeds (this is especially important if you are using some of those “larger than life” zucchini that get away from you). Dice into ½ inch pieces and measure out 16 cups worth.

Prepare jars, lids, and rings by washing and keeping warm. I generally set the jars in the rack of canner and have it rest above the water. Begin heating the water bath canner (make sure water will be at least one inch above jars once submerged). It is better to have too much water than too little.

Meanwhile, combine the diced zucchini, sugar, lemon juice, and pineapple juice. Heat to a boil, stirring periodically. Lower to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Stir periodically to prevent sticking.

Ladle zucchini and juice into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Wipe jar rim with a damp, clean cloth. Put lids and rings on, tightening to finger tip tight. Lower into canner, raising heat and bringing to a rolling boil. Process for 15 min, adjusting for altitude (if over 1000 feet). Remove the canner from heat, and allow jars to rest 5 min. Remove from canner and allow to cool at least 12 hours before storing jars.

There is no need to tighten rings. In fact, it is recommended they are removed entirely while storing. Enjoy the unique flavor of pineapple zucchini.

A few notes

It’s okay if you are short on zucchini. Prepare as indicated, but know that you will fill less jars. It takes approximately 2 cups of zucchini to fill a jar.
Don’t toss out that left over liquid! My kiddos love to drink it.

Tools of the Trade

While you can truly can with any deep kettle and rack to keep the jars off the bottom of the canner, it is definitely easier if you invest in a few of the tools listed below!

Looking for more ways to savor summer in a jar? Check out the page below:

Canning and Perserving

Pineapple Zucchini

An abundance of zucchini paired with pineapple juice result in a delicious home canned treat that tastes like pineapple but has the texture of a pear.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Equipment

Water bath canner with rack and lid
Eight pint jars with lids and rings (wide or narrow mouth)
Large, non reactive kettle to cook the zucchini in the liquids and sugar

Ingredients

16 cups cubed zucchini be sure to peel and seed beforehand
46 ounces canned unsweetened pineapple juice
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups bottled lemon juice

Instructions

Prepare the zucchini. To do so, peel skin. Cut the zucchini in half and scrap out any seeds.
Dice into ½ inch pieces and measure out 16 cups worth.
Prepare jars, lids, and rings by washing and keeping warm. Begin heating the water bath canner over medium heat.
Meanwhile, combine the diced zucchini, sugar, lemon juice, and pineapple juice. Heat to a boil, stirring periodically. Lower to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Stir periodically to prevent sticking.
Ladle zucchini and juice into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace.
Wipe jar rim with a damp, clean cloth.
Put lids and rings on, tightening to finger tip tight. Lower into canner, raising heat and bringing to a rolling boil. Process for 15 min, adjusting for altitude (if over 1000 feet).
Remove the canner from heat, and allow jars to rest 5 min. Remove from canner and allow to cool at least 12 hours before storing jars.

Notes

If you are short on zucchini, that’s okay. Prepare as directed but prep for less jars. It will take approximately 2 cups of zucchini to fill a jar.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

August 12, 2020July 8, 2021

Jess1 Comment

Applesauce and Cinnamon Bread

Last Updated on March 21, 2021 by Jess

I love an apple bread (or really, any apple baked good, let’s be honest), but peeling and coring apples is a tedious process I don’t love. Enter an applesauce and cinnamon bread. When I saw a version of this recipe on the back of a bran flakes box, I had to give it a try. I have modified it quite a lot to add more wholesome ingredients and cut down on some sugar. Believe me, the final result is equally delicious. The husband even gave it two thumbs up and was excited to eat it for breakfast this week. I always call that a big win!

As an aside, I love adding oats to all of my recipes, but I know that some don’t love them. I even have a friend who is allergic, which I didn’t even know was possible until recently. If you don’t want to add oats, you can certainly modify this simple applesauce and cinnamon bread to have 1 ½ cups of flour and 1 ½ cups bran flakes.

Your Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup bran flakes cereal
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup maple syrup or honey
½ cup milk
¼ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Your Steps

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine egg, applesauce, maple syrup, and milk. Whisk until well combined. Add flour, oats, bran flakes, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until just moistened throughout. Fold in chopped nuts if adding.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing from the pan. Enjoy!

Interested in other baked goods? Go ahead, check out my baking page!

Baking

Applesauce and Cinnamon Bread

The classic combination of apple and cinnamon combine with bran flake cereal and oatmeal in this quick bread.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 55

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup bran flakes cereal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup maple syrup or honey
½ cup milk
¼ cup chopped nuts optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine egg, applesauce, maple syrup, and milk.
Whisk until well combined.
Add flour, oats, bran flakes, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Stir until just moistened throughout. Fold in chopped nuts if adding.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool before removing from the pan. Enjoy!

Notes

If you don’t want to add oats, you can modify to have 1 ½ cups of flour and 1 ½ cups bran flakes.

Keyword apple and cinnamon, applesauce, Breakfast Bread, cinnamon, Quick Bread

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

August 6, 2020March 21, 2021

JessLeave a comment

Fresh Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Last Updated on May 26, 2021 by Jess

Gardens and farmer’s markets alike are full of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. Often, I think preserve for pasta or create pickles, but if you have 10 minutes to spare, you can have a fresh tomato and cucumber salad prepped and ready to marinate for your next picnic or cook out.

Truly, I am a preserver at heart. I want to save all our produce that we grow for the future. I love filling our shelves and freezer with our garden delights. It’s almost an addiction. What can I say? It’s quite the rewarding process and full shelves are beautiful. Plus, we will be prepared in the case of a zombie apocalypse or…shall I say it, world pandemic. Too soon? Anywho..

This year, I am trying to slow down and really appreciate the harvest as it is brought into our home. Recently, we had a set of pork chops to grill and I realized this light and simple tomato and cucumber salad would be the perfect side. It truly takes moments to prepare in the afternoon and by dinner time, the vinegar had created a sort of quick pickle our whole family can enjoy.

Your Ingredients

2 cups sliced Roma tomatoes
2 cups sliced cucumber
½ cup diced red onion
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
2 – 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Your Steps

Combine sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion in a large bowl. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk the remaining ingredients together. I recommend taste testing the dressing here. Everyone has their own preference in terms of the bite of vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add more as needed. Whisk once more and immediately pour over vegetables. Stir. Cover and allow to chill for at least an hour prior to serving for best flavor.

Notes

The Roma tomato isn’t required, but nice because of firmness. Two cups of halved cherry or grape tomatoes would work great as well.
If you are purchasing cucumbers from the store, English cucumbers work great since they have a lower seed count. However, any smaller cucumber will do.

Looking for other fun and fresh side dishes? Or maybe you want to preserve the bounty from your garden or farmer’s market? Check out the links below!

Cooking

Canning and Preserving

Fresh Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Fresh, crisp flavors of the garden combine with vinegar and oil to make this light tomato and cucumber salad perfect for any cookout or barbecue.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Chill Time 1

Servings

Ingredients

2 cups sliced Roma tomatoes
2 cups sliced cucumber
½ cup diced red onion
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
2 – 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Combine sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion in a large bowl.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk the remaining ingredients together.
Taste test dressing here, adding more salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed.
Whisk once more and immediately pour over vegetables.
Stir.
Cover and allow to chill for at least an hour prior to serving for best flavor.

Notes

The Roma tomato isn’t required, but nice because of their firmness. Two cups of halved cherry or grape tomatoes would work great as well.

If you are purchasing cucumbers from the store, English cucumbers work great since they have a lower seed count. However, any smaller cucumber will do.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

August 3, 2020May 26, 2021

JessLeave a comment