Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Banana Peppers

Growing our own vegetables has been such an adventure for my little family. When my Farmer and I started a life together, he mentioned wanting to have a garden. I instantly thought back to my childhood and memories of the garden that my grandparents had. My grandparents had a huge garden full of vegetables and two thistle seed feeders on opposite sides for the gold finches. I loved watching the gold finches. I've since tried to attract gold finches to my yard, but with no luck. But maybe more on that topic on another day.

I'm not even sure I remember everything that we planted in our inaugural garden that year. I know there was cucumber and dill. My mom taught me how to make pickles that year. I didn't even know that she knew how to make them! I also know that we had planted some tomatoes and peppers. I vaguely recall making salsa. I had no recipe, and was just adding amounts based on what I thought looked right. I still have and use my original recipe that I wrote down all those years ago. And we also planted okra. I had never heard of okra, and most definitely had no clue what to do with this curious vegetable. Pinterest wasn't a thing yet, so I had to rely on an internet search instead of a screen full of pretty pictures of wonderful tried and true okra recipes from fellow food bloggers. How did we ever survive?

A few years later, the Farmer requested a new vegetable to be added to the annual list of vegetables to buy for the garden. He asked for banana peppers. I hate to admit it, but I had no idea what a banana pepper was. After a few years of gardening under my belt, I was feeling a bit more confident about growing something new and learning how to prepare it. I started by adding the peppers to my salsa. Then I learned how to can them. They are great on nachos! I also throw the entire pepper on the grill. The Farmer and the Little Farmer love to eat them right off the grill or on a cheeseburger. And then I got fancy and created this recipe. They are a must make when the banana peppers are in season. I don't think that summer grilling would be the same for the Farmers in my house if I didn't make these tasty appetizers.

 

 

Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Banana Peppers

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

Wrapped in bacon and stuffed with cream cheese, these are a staple in the summer when banana peppers are fresh in the garden!

Ingredients

• 6 banana peppers
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 6 strips bacon

Instructions

1. Prepare the banana peppers. Cut the tops off, slice each pepper down the middle lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds.
2. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, shredded cheese, and seasoned salt.
3. For each pepper, spoon some of the cream cheese mixture into the middle, put the pepper back together, then wrap with a strip of bacon.
4. Grill on medium high heat for 10 minutes, turning a few times to evenly grill all sides. Sometimes I grill these in a foil pan so I don't make my grill a mess!

Notes:

When preparing the peppers, I like to make sure to cut as close to the stem as possible and not take out too much of the white membrane at the top. This way when you put the pepper back together, the white membrane helps close the top of the pepper to prevent too much of the cheese melting out.

Air Fryer Zucchini

 I love my summer garden. We eat out of it almost all summer long. I can, freeze, and share the harvest. The sweet corn, beans, tomatoes, and peppers are plentiful. And you know what else is plentiful? The zucchini. Ugh. I'm just not a huge fan of this green vegetable. I try to like it. I've prepared it in breads and brownies. I've even made it into a mock apple pie. I've tried it in just about any recipe that hides the zucchini. I just don't see the big deal about zucchini. (I should add that I found a zucchini pizza casserole recipe the whole family loves. And I sometimes add zucchini that I have in my freezer to my spaghetti sauce. So maybe I like it a little more than I think. But don't tell the Farmer.)

It's a joke here in Iowa that the zucchini is so plentiful, that in order to get rid of your harvest you need to leave it on someone's door step when they are least expecting it. Think of it like a zucchini stork delivering bundles of not-so-cute squash that are nothing to be desired.  I once was "gifted" nine zucchini this way. NINE!!!! What on earth was I going to do with NINE zucchini???? I "gifted" them to some one else. 

Even though I never look forward to a zucchini plant in the middle of my perfect garden of other glorious veggies, my hubby always plants one. He loves zucchini. He even eats it when I don't try to hide it in other foods. The past two years, the zucchini plants have not made it. I may or may not have been secretly delighted about this, but we were still "gifted" zucchini that I had to deal with. This year, we have TWO zucchini plants. It's like the zucchini gods knew I silently (or not so silently) cheered when the Farmer's beloved plants did not thrive. 

Which brings me to this recipe that I created. As much as I do not like preparing zucchini, this Air Fryer Zucchini recipe is quick and easy. I was a little late to the air fryer game. Okay, really late. I've only had mine a few months now. I'm still learning how to use it, and have been trying to create recipes so I can use it for more that just cooking up some cheese balls or frozen fish sticks. The Farmer loves this Air Fryer Zucchini so much, he polished off the entire plate by himself last night. 

Air Fryer Zucchini

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

A unique and tasty appetizer that is fresh from the garden!

Ingredients

• 2 cups zucchini slices, sliced about 1/4 inch
• 1/4 cup Italian Dressing
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Prepare your zucchini by slicing it into 1/4 inch slices. You can peel the zucchini if desired.
2. Add the Italian dressing to a bowl.
3. In another bowl, toss together the bread crumbs, cheese, and seasonings.
4. Coat each zucchini slice in the dressing, the the bread crumbs.
5. Lay the slices in a single layer in an air fryer.
6. Air fry at 375 degrees for 5 minutes, flip and fry for another 3 minutes.

Notes:

Ranch dressing makes a great dipping sauce!

Garlic Cheese Bombs

 Garlic. Cheese. Bombs. These are a must every single time I make homemade pizza. If I don't make these, everyone asks for them. Pizza night is just a disappointment without them. I can't NOT make these anymore.

To make the garlic cheese bombs, start with my basic pizza crust. One batch of my basic pizza crust recipe will make three dozen garlic cheese bombs. 

 

Once the dough has risen, divide the dough until you have 36 portions. I use a bench scraper and I just keep cutting halves until I get to 36 pieces.

Then I take chunks of mozzarella cheese, wrap the dough around them, and set them on a cookie sheet to rest and rise some more.

Before resting and rising.

Ready to bake!

Bake them in a 350 degree oven until they are starting to turn golden brown on top. While they are baking, melt 1/4 cup of butter and add 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt. When they are done, brush them with the garlic salt and butter mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Ready to try these? Print the recipe off and add these to your next pizza night!

Garlic Cheese Bombs

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 batch of basic pizza dough
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese block, cut into 36 equal chunks
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Prepare basic pizza dough as directed.
2. Divide risen dough into 36 pieces.
3. Wrap each piece of dough around a chunk of mozzarella cheese. Seal to prevent cheese leaking out.
4. Let the balls rest and rise for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the balls start to turn golden brown on top.
6. While they bake, melt the butter and add the garlic salt.
7. Brush the baked cheese bombs with the garlic salt and butter mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

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Porky Jalapeno Popper Meatballs

 I'm always looking for new ways to use the home-grown produce in my garden. I can and freeze quite a bit of our veggies, but I also like to find ways to use it when it is fresh. I have a couple ways to use jalapeno peppers up my sleeve, and these meatballs are one way. While I don't have fresh jalapenos this time of year (since I am in Iowa and writing this in December during a snow storm), I do keep bags of chopped jalapeno in my freezer year round to use in recipes such as this one.

I first made these meatballs to take to a friend's gathering. They are full of jalapeno popper flavor, and have a surprise cream cheese center. I don't think anybody that night could eat just one. I just loved everyone's reaction when they realized these meatballs are filled with cream cheese.

If you want a crowd pleasing appetizer, look no further. These Porky Jalapeno Popper meatballs are what you are looking for.

Porky Jalapeno Popper Meatballs

Yield: makes 24 meatballs

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

Everyone loves a good jalapeno popper, and these meatballs are a real crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 3 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 24 small cubes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except for the cream cheese.
3. Divide meat mixture into 24 meatballs.
4. Flatten each meatball, place a cream cheese cube in the center and work the meatball mixture around the cream cheese, making sure the cream cheese is in the center and fully covered with the meat mixture.
5. Place on a baking rack that is on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes.

Mexican Mozzarella Sticks

I love tacos. And I love fried mozzarella sticks. So therefore I love this mashup of the two. The breading is crunchy. They taste like tacos. The sauce is cool. My kids love them. And when I made them this afternoon, they disappeared as fast as I could make them.
I used my homemade taco seasoning to make these, but you can use the packet you buy at the store. They'll taste just as good. Make sure not to skip the freezing step. This is important in making sure the cheese doesn't melt too fast while cooking. And make sure the oil is up to temp before frying. You may have to wait a minute or so between batches. I know it'll be hard to wait, but you don't want soggy breading.
Want a little more heat? Add some chopped jalapenos to the dipping sauce. The farmer loves the addition of the jalapenos, so I add them when he is around.

Mexican Mozzarella Sticks

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

A mashup of two favorites - tacos and fried mozzarella sticks!

Ingredients:

• 6 mozzarella string cheese sticks
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup red enchilada sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced

Instructions:

1. Gather three small bowls. In one bowl add the flour.
2. In another bowl, add the egg and milk. Whisk together.
3. In the third bowl, add the Panko bread crumbs and the taco seasoning. Stir together.
4. Unwrap all the cheese sticks. Cut in half to create 12 sticks.
5. Take one stick and roll in the flour. Then dip in the egg and milk mixture. Repeat.
6. Roll cheese stick in the breadcrumbs, using a spoon to help coat the cheese stick.
7. Repeat the coating process for all the cheese sticks.
8. Freeze the cheese sticks for 30 minutes.
9. To make the dipping sauce, mix together the sour cream, enchilada sauce, cilantro, and pepper.
10. Fry the cheese sticks in oil heated to 350 degrees until breading is browned and cheese starts to melt out of the breading, about 2 minutes.

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Pico de Gallo

Most Friday nights are nacho nights at my house. They are so easy to prepare when I am tired from a long week at work. Plus nachos are customizable, so everyone gets what they like. I set out all the ingredients and toppings, and each person in my house makes their own version. Easy peasy.

This Pico de Gallo one of my family's new favorite things on our nacho nights. I can make when I get home from work, or make it a day or two ahead of time. It is super fresh, and in the summer I can make it with tomatoes and jalapeno peppers from my garden. Feel free to adjust the amount of jalapeno to your family's taste, and be prepared to make it often!

Pico de Gallo

Author: The Marigold Kitchen

This is a staple on nacho nights!

Ingredients:

• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeno
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Combine ingredients and chill.
2. Serve with chips, tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, or with whatever you wish!

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