We were recently gifted a Staub Cocotte in this gorgeous Basil Green and it was feeling time to use it to make my favorite macaroni and cheese recipe. The first time I made homemade mac 'n cheese for my kids I felt triumphant. Unfortunately, they complained the whole time that it wasn't the kind that came in the box and why wasn't it orange? However, over time, they came over to the dark side and now it is a family favorite. 
A few notes on the recipe:
The pasta can be any shape you choose, I find that the shells are great in that they create little cups for the cheesy sauce. Today I used Banza chickpea pasta, you just have to cook it al dente so it doesn't turn to mush.amzn.to/4eBJwIs
Same with the cheese, use one kind or five. I like at least 2 but it really depends on what's sitting in my cheese drawer at the time.  Today it was Dubliner White Cheddar and Trader Joe's Carmelized Onion Cheddar.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
8 oz pasta 
1 1/4 cups milk, warmed
1/4 c flour
1 1/2 cups cheese, grated or finely diced
1/2 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
3-4 TBSP olive oil
dash nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
Cook pasta according to box directions for al dente. Drain but don't rinse. 
In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes. If the pan is looking a bit dry, add more olive oil. Sprinkle flour over onion and garlic mixture and combine using a whisk. This will make the roux for your bechamel sauce (You are SO fancy!). It should be a soft paste consistency. Gradually add in the warmed milk, whisking till smooth between each addition. Once you have added all the milk, continue to whisk until smooth. It should be the consistency of gravy. Turn the heat to low and add in your cheese, stirring constantly. If there are still small clumps of cheese, that's ok. They will gradually melt and give you that yummy stringyness we all love in mac n cheese. 
Stir in pasta until well coated. At this point, you can add in anything from lobster meat to broccoli to spinach. Season with salt and pepper and I add a dash of nutmeg at the end for a smidge of sweetness. It's also amazing topped with some truffle oil. 
​Spoon in to bowls and enjoy!

​We all know how annoying it is to find a recipe online and have to scroll to Egypt till you finally get to the recipe at the bottom of the post. I'm not gonna do that to you. I will say, I'm a fan of Le Creuset dutch ovens, especially for this recipe. It keeps the heat contained so well, plus they are just so pretty. Happy cooking!

​​Rustic Italian Chili
What you need:
Olive oil
1 pound ground beef/lamb/turkey/mushrooms (whatever you like for this! - I switch between turkey and beef)
1 shallot or 1⁄2 red onion, diced
1-2 carrots, cleaned and diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 TBSP Italian seasoning
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 can cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup ditalini pasta or macaroni pasta
6 cups beef broth (vegetable broth or water work too)
Parmesan cheese rind, optional
To make:
Drizzle olive oil in a dutch oven, turn on heat, add diced onion, carrots, and red pepper flakes. Stir for 2-3 minutes, then add garlic, Italian seasoning and ground beef (or whatever). Cook, stirring often, until meat is cooked through. Dump in the tomato sauce, beans and part of the broth. Start with 3-4 cups broth, saving the rest for later. Give it a good stir. Add the pasta and bring to a boil. If you have a parmesan rind, add it now. After 6-7 minutes, turn the heat to low, adding more broth as needed. Let simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. It’s so good eaten alone, with Saltine crackers (my fave!), or crusty bread. It’s even better THE NEXT DAY.
Enjoy!

Shauna's mom, Deb recently returned from an extended vacation to a garden overflowing with produce. Per Shauna, she doesn't eat her bounty, she just shares it. So when Deb showed up at the office with the biggest zucchini we've ever seen, one for each of us, we decided to make her proud and see what we could cook up. ​

Thus was born the SGD Zucchini Challenge. Each of us would make a recipe with our zucchini and then invite Deb to come join us on the podcast and judge the dishes. It IS amazing what you can do with zucchini, so if you have an overflowing garden yourself, you can pretty much create an entire meal with these recipes. 

An incredibly easy make ahead breakfast that works for both babies, kids and adults. You'll add this to your Sunday agenda for the rest of time so you have easy breakfasts ready to go during the week
Prep Time 10minutes
Cook Time 15minutes 
Total Time 25minutes
Course: Breakfast
Servings: 12 Bites (*note, we cooked this all in one dish instead of individual ones)
 Ingredients

• 1 zucchini cut into a small dice
• 1/2 onion cut into a small dice
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 8 eggs beaten together
• 2 tablespoons chives
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large 10 inch skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté the diced zucchini and onion and saute for about 5 minutes until they are slightly soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sautéed vegetables to the bottom of a sprayed regular sized muffin pan.
• In another bowl, whisk together 8 eggs and season with salt and pepper and add the chopped chives and feta. Fill the remaining area in the muffin tin with the egg, gently stirring the ingredients together. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the eggs are completely set.

Notes: Make these on the weekend to prep for the week. They reheat easily in the toaster oven or microwave.
​Recipe courtesy of What's Gaby Cooking 

PREP TIME 10 mins
COOK TIME 70 mins
TOTAL TIME 80 mins
SERVINGS 16 to 20 servings
YIELD 2 loaves
This recipe can be baked in an 8x4-inch loaf pan (for taller loaves) or in a 9x5-inch loaf pan (for thinner loaves). This recipe also makes 2 loaves; you can easily divide the recipe in half to make just one loaf.
The recipe calls for 4 cups of grated zucchini, which will yield particularly moist loaves. I've made it with 3 cups, which was also very good, just not as sublime as with 4 cups.
Ingredients

• 4 cups grated zucchini (from about 1 1/2 pounds zucchini)
• 2 1/2 cups (340g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa (use natural unsweetened cocoa, not Dutch processed)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup (169g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Method

1. Drain excess moisture from grated zucchini:Place the freshly grated zucchini in a sieve over a bowl to catch any excess moisture as it drains, while you work on prepping the other ingredients and preparing the recipe.
   If for some reason your zucchini is on the dry side, hydrate the shredded zucchini by soaking it in water first, and then place in sieve.
2. Preheat oven, prepare loaf pans:Preheat oven to 350°F, with a rack in the middle. Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans with baking spray or butter.
3. Whisk together dry ingredients:Vigorously whisk together the flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk until there are no more clumps and the ingredients are well combined.
4. Beat sugar and eggs, add melted butter, instant coffee granules, almond extract:In a separate large bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs until smooth, about a minute. You can do this with an electric mixer on medium speed, or by hand with a wooden spoon. (I'm lazy and use a mixer but it's easy enough to do by hand.)
   Add the melted butter, instant coffee granules, and almond extract and beat until smooth.
5. Add zucchini to the egg mixture:Mix the shredded zucchini into the sugar egg mixture.
   Add the flour to the zucchini mixture in 3 additions, stirring to combine after each addition.
6. Divide batter into pans and bake:Work quickly, and divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans. (Work quickly because once the dry ingredients have mixed with the wet ingredients, the leavening has begun.)
   Place into the oven. Bake for 50 minutes at 350°F, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and easily.
7. Cool:Remove to a rack. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a blunt knife around the edges to separate the bread from the pan. Remove from the loaf pans and let cool completely on a rack.
   Note that if you try to slice the chocolate zucchini bread before it has completely cooled, it will be rather crumbly. It's also easiest to slice with a bread knife.
   Recipe courtesy of Simply Recipes

PREP TIME 10 minutes
COOK TIME 15 minutes 
TOTAL TIME 25 minutes 
COURSE Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
SERVINGS 8 servings

Ingredients 

• 3 medium zucchini
• 2 and 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 pound orzo pasta
• 1 cup pesto
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 pints (4 cups) cherry tomatoes
• 8 ounces goat cheese
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F). Slice zucchinis in half lengthwise, then chop into 1/2" zucchini slices. 
• In a large bowl, combine the zucchini with the olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, tossing well to coat. 
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or just until they begin to soften. Don't over bake or your zucchini with the mushy! Remove from oven and set aside to cool. 
• Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring it to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. 
• When the pasta has finished cooking, drain it at once and quickly rinse it under cold water until cool, about 1 minute.
• Place cooled pasta in a large mixing bowl and add the pesto and vinegar, and toss well to coat.
• Add half of the roasted zucchini, tomatoes, goat cheese, onions, and basil, and toss well to combine.
• Top with remaining mix-ins. Then serve at once, or chill until needed. 

Recipe courtesy of Baker by Nature

This Lemon Zucchini Cake is definitive proof that lemon and zucchini belong together! Beautifully moist and undeniably delicious, this easy cake is topped with a lemon glaze that will keep you coming back for one more slice. An excellent way to use up that zucchini from your garden!
 Course Dessert
 Prep Time 10 minutes
 Cook Time 45 minutes
 Total Time 55 minutes
 Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or vegetable or canola oil
• 2 eggs room temperature
• ⅓ cup vanilla almond milk or whole milk
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
• 2 cups cake flour can substitute AP flour following directions here
• 1 ⅓ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ cup shredded zucchini drained and squeezed dry
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spray a loaf pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the sugar and olive oil. Whisk to combine.
• Add eggs and almond milk and whisk together.
• Add lemon juice and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
• Add flour mixture and stir just until incorporated.
• Fold in zucchini and lemon zest.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. The top of the cake should look dry.
• Place the loaf on a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes. Use the parchment paper to carefully life the cake from the pan. Let cool completely on rack.

Glaze

• In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth.
• Drizzle the glaze over the cake.
• Slice and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Mom on Time Out

Yummy, right? So, you'll have to tune in to the podcast to find out which dish Deb picked as the winner. AND who made which recipe. Let us know which one sounds best to you or share your own zucchini recipes and we might just feature it on the blog! Thanks to all our fabulous recipe creators for their work. Please be sure to click through the links to see more. 

As is per usual with weather in Texas, we went from highs in the 70s to highs in the 40s in a matter of days. So, all of us naturally started digging through our favorite soup recipes in order to prepare for the pending hibernation that cold, rainy weather brings. Some recipes, like our favorite Gumbo, are dang near perfect just the way they are. But butternut squash soup is a tricky one. Every recipe we've tried seems to lack something; it's too runny or too creamy or not spicy enough. Which left Shauna no choice but to play mad scientist and find the perfect blend of several recipes to create THE perfect butternut squash soup recipe.

So, cutting to the chase, because we know how frustrating it is to find a recipe online and have to scroll for days to the ACTUAL recipe. 

Shauna's Butternut Squash Soup
​2 TBSP olive oil
3 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 TBSP fresh sage, chopped
1/2 TBSP fresh rosemary, chopped
3-4 cups vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk
1 TBSP curry powder
Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for garnish (optional)

Heat olive oil in Dutch oven
Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until translucent
Add squash to the onions and cook for 7-8 minutes until soft
Add garlic, sage, rosemary, and broth. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add coconut milk and curry powder. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes.
Pour the soup in a blender in batches until smooth.
Serve hot and garnish with pepitas and fresh rosemary. 

That's it! Easy, peasy. What is your favorite soup recipe? Share with us here and we'll post all of your favorites on a future post. ​

Raise your hand if you are COMPLETELY OVER your regular recipe rotation! 
Six months ago, I will admit, it was fun to have the time to try new recipes and go out on a limb making Pad Thai or home-made croissants. Now that it's OCTOBER, it is possible that the enthusiasm you once felt about stepping foot in the kitchen has waned just a bit.
In the spring, I signed up for a CSA that supports local farmers intending to be more focused on buying only seasonal produce. You pay a seasonal subscription fee and show up to the produce pick up site once a week and make your selections. Typically the selection is pretty standard; tomatoes, onions, potatoes, berries, squash. But often there are selections that are a bit more adventurous; bok choy, eggplant, long beans, beets. I take these ingredients as a personal challenge to hunt down and make recipes that might be outside of my normal rotation. 
So, when my neighbor sent me this recipe and I was staring at a pile of squash and eggplant (courgettes and aubergines if you are fancy) recently picked up at the CSA, it was as if the stars aligned right there in the kitchen. Plus, I'll take any excuse to use goat's cheese in a recipe. The original recipe is from the BBC Good Food website, so is in those weird metric measurements, but I've converted it so you don't have to. You're welcome. Also, so you don't have to look it up, passata is basically a tomato puree and you can easily substitute canned crushed tomatoes but I was surprised to see passata in my local grocery store. Lastly, I recommend starting the dish in a pan that can go from cooktop to oven so you don't have to transfer. One fewer dish to wash is always a good thing. 

Baked Ratatouille with Goat's Cheese

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 red onions , chopped
• 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
• 2 aubergines, diced
• 2 red peppers , seeded and diced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 16 oz passata
• 7 oz young goat’s cheese
• 4 courgettes (a mixture of green and yellow looks nice), thinly sliced

For the cheese sauce:

• 1 2/3 c milk
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 1/3 c parmesan or vegetarian alternative, finely grated

Procedure

• STEP 1  Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy oven safe frying pan and gently cook the red onion and garlic for 5 mins until just starting to brown. Scatter over the aubergine and red pepper and sizzle for another 4 mins, adding more oil if you need to. Season well and stir through the paprika, then splash in the vinegar and soy sauce. Pour over the passata, then simmer for 5 mins until glossy and thick. Turn off the heat. Can be made up to two days ahead and kept in the fridge.
• STEP 2  To make the cheese sauce, heat the milk in the microwave until warm. In a saucepan, melt the butter until bubbling and add the flour. Whisk together to make a paste and continue to cook until lightly browned. Slowly whisk in the hot milk and simmer gently for 2-3 mins, stirring continually until thickened slightly. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan and season.
• STEP 3  Cover the ratatouille with the cheese sauce. Crumble half of the goat’s cheese over sauce and arrange the courgette slices on top in concentric circles, alternating between green and yellow if you have them. Top with remaining goat's cheese. Can be assembled several hours before cooking.
• STEP 4  Heat oven to 400. Brush or drizzle the remaining oil over the courgette slices and season with sea salt. Bake in the oven for 25-30 mins until the courgettes are cooked through and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 mins before serving.

As eager as you are going to be to dig in to this, it IS important to let it rest once it comes out of the oven so it is not a runny, sloppy mess. Serve with a crusty bread and green salad and it is divine. In fact, I may or may not have had it for brunch the next morning with a fried egg on top. 
To find out more about CSAs in your area, go here. 

Not surprising that our Holiday Cocktail post from last year was one of our most popular. I mean, when you are home with family for days upon end, there are only so many Hallmark movies you can watch before going bonkers. Truth be told, we never NEED an excuse to try a new cocktail, but holiday gatherings, family events and parties are prime opportunities to venture outside the cocktail box. Beyond the Moscow Mule, you might say.
​This year, we turned to our friends at The Spruce and their food and drink site The Spruce Eats for recommendations for our Holiday Cocktail round up and the selection didn't disappoint. Coffee drinks, cold weather drinks, festive drinks, there's a LOT to choose from. Our selections were strategic in that they go from morning brunch and coffee to after dinner in front of the fireplace. 

Nothing new and spectacular about bubbles and cranberry juice, but the addition of this garnish gives it a bright kick. 

This boozy smoothie is the perfect way to kick off Christmas Day. Plus Shauna's kinda partial to the name. 

A caffeinated jump start to your day, or as an after meal treat, this liqueur infused coffee drink is at its best whe made with dark roasted beans. 

It takes a little extra effort to make the cinnamon simple syrup for this cocktail, but it's worth it. Go ahead and make up a big ol batch to have with your tamales on Christmas Eve.

A lovely alternative to egg nog, this dessert cocktail is a dreamy end to a festive dinner. For a larger party, serve in shot glasses to give everyone a delicious dose. 

The first of our hot drinks, this spicy, fruity drink will warm your bones after a brisk walk or snowball fight. Let it simmer on the stove to fill your house with its spicy yumminess. 

Picture it: A roaring fire. Christmas Vacation on the TV. A pile of crumpled wrapping paper. A snuggly throw. The only thing missing is this classic cocktail, now warmed up for the longest winter night. 
​Enjoy responsibly, my friends. And best wishes for a happy and safe holiday! 

If you love puff pastry, tomatoes, and cheese, you’ll LOVE this tomato tart recipe. I found it in a magazine and tweaked it some to make it my own.
​Here’s what you’ll need:
1 puff pastry sheet, thawed
3-4 roma tomatoes, sliced
¼ cup fontina cheese, shredded
¼ cup parmesan cheese, shredded (you can also leave out fontina cheese and use ½ cup parmesan instead)
½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 egg, slightly beaten
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp herbs de provence (or Italian seasoning)
½ teaspoon garlic
salt
3-4 basil leaves, chopped
Place oven rack on lowest setting Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and unroll the pastry dough. Fold over the edges ½ inch and brush with egg. Using a fork, poke holes in the dough. Sprinkle dough with fontina and parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. While the dough is baking, spread out sliced tomatoes on paper towels and lightly salt. Let drain for 20 minutes. After that time, blot tomatoes with paper towels to extract what water is left. After dough is finished baking, take out of oven and spread mozzarella cheese on top. Place tomatoes evenly atop mozzarella. Add herbs and garlic salt to olive oil and whisk lightly. Drizzle oil on tomatoes and place cookie sheet back in oven for 15 minutes or until edges of dough are golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Place tart on cutting board and slice into four equal parts.
​Serves 4

We recruited the token male in the office once again to help us out with a post on that favorite fall past-time, tailgating. We are all big TCU fans here, but luckily this tailgate fare is Switzerland in its neutrality. Good enough for all fans. Mostly. Go Frogs. 

Disappearing Buffalo Chicken Dip
If there are two things we like more than anything, it’s dishes with “Buffalo” and “Dip” in the title. This super easy recipe screams “TAILGATE” and your friends will devour it!

​Stadium Meat and Cheese Tray
We feel like your tailgate food needs to represent what a tailgate is all about…the stadium! Check out this super clever, and really tasty, edible stadium by Sargento. Yes, THAT Sargento. 

When it comes to tailgate drinks, we know that beer and wine are king and queen. Throw in an assorted case of White Claw for the Millenials and you're good to go. But, seeing as how we ARE Horned Frog Fans and all, how impressed would your fellow tailgaters be if you whipped up one of these "Purple Cocktails that Don't Suck" courtesy of our friends at Cocktailpartyapp.com. Some are easy, some, not so much but all impressive. 

So, you’ve picked out food and drink for your tailgate party. How are you going to get from your kitchen to your tailgate? Might we suggest this little gem from Wayfair. It’s like your suitcase and your picnic basket had a baby.

We love these striped throws to throw down (ha!) on the table or tailgate as a place for all your yummy food. These classic rep stripe blankets from Wayfair make the perfect backdrop to your tailgate party. Or order several for your guests to wrap up in on that rare chilly football-weather day. Available in all the best game day colors.

If you’re going to really tailgate, your peeps are going to need somewhere to sit. Rather than pack up a ton of folding chairs, check out this contraption from Wayfair. It knocks out six birds with one stone. This foldable sports/camping bench will make your life and your friends and family think you’re a genius!

And for those awkward moments when there are too many party crashers that you don't know, a good ol' game of Cornhole is just the answer. Wayfair has a game with the school logo of pretty much any team you are cheering for so no one is getting left out of this party.
Have fun. Be safe. Go Frogs. 
​
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If you saw Shauna's Instagram story yesterday, you read that she has joined Weight Watchers to try to get back on track with her weight. For those of us with zero will power, it can be such a struggle to eat right and exercise. Having a system where you are held accountable AND where it is easy to count the calories (or, points) makes it so much easier. At the end of the day, we all just want food that tastes good and is good for you. Healthy eating doesn't have to be boring or tasteless, and when fresh produce is in abundance, there is so much to work with. 
In a moment of "I have nothing to make for dinner", Shauna pulled ingredients out of the fridge and made something that not only tasted amazing, but added up to only 2 points on Weight Watchers. We're firm believers that you can add pretty much anything to eggs or pasta and come up with an amazing meal. Considering eggs have ZERO WW points, well, eggs for the win all day. 

Spinach Tomato Frittata
6 eggs beaten
1 shallot, diced
1 large tomato, sliced
1/2 cup shredded cheese (we used gouda and swiss because that's what was in the fridge, but use whatever you love)
1 cup baby spinach (can also use kale)
salt and pepper
cayenne pepper (optional)
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. In a cast iron skillet, saute shallots in olive oil until soft, 4-5 minutes. Beat eggs in bowl and season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Set aside. Add spinach to skillet and saute until just wilted. Add eggs and cheese to skillet. Top egg mixture with sliced tomatoes. Put skillet in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until center is just firm. Remove from oven and let sit 1-2 minutes before cutting. 
2 POINTS PER SLICE!!

Have a great Weight Watchers friendly recipe you'd like to share with our audience? Email us at [email protected] for the chance to have your recipe featured on a special blog post. 

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So, summer is in full swing. And if your entertaining menu is in need of a refresh, we've picked our top five cocktails from our friends from Williams-Sonoma to add to your rotation. Whatever your taste, citrus, bubbly, herbal, fruity, these cocktails are sure to please any crowd. Or just you and your bff on a random Wednesday night. Also shop our essentials in barware, accessories and gadgets also from WS and get 20% off your order with code FRIENDS.

All recipes from Williams-Sonoma. This post contains affiliate links and we are compensated for purchases made through these links.