Apple Zapple Pie

So, I've been seeing these mock "apple" pies using zucchini on the internet. I was intrigued so I started off with this pie using part zucchini, part apple. Turns out no one knew there was zucchini in the mix. Going for all zucchini next time! It has the same colour and texture as an apple and is a great way to use up that baseball bat of a zucchini you found in the garden!! 

Ingredients:

2 cups sliced zucchini

5-6 cups sliced apple

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsps cinnamon

2 tbsps instant tapioca

a few dabs of butter

pie dough for a 9" pie

Here's my go-to dough recipe:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2025/07/easy-flaky-pie-crust.html 

Take the zucchini and peel it. Cut in half if large and scoop out any seeds. Then slice as you would an apple for pie. Blanch the zucchini slices in boiling water for 2 minutes then plunge into cold water and drain. Now mix the zucchini, apple, both sugars, cinnamon and tapioca together. Roll out the dough and lay in your pie plate or cast iron pan. Spoon in the filling and add a few dabs of butter. Add the top crust and make a few slits for air to escape. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Serves 6-8 

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Cheesy Pork Chop Skillet

Golden, seasoned pork chops with a medley of tender vegetables smothered in melty cheese.

You can use bone-in or boneless pork chops however boneless is preferable so you're not looking for the bone through the veggies and cheese when you dig in to eat.

Ingredients:

2 pork chops 1/2-3/4" thick

2 tsps olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp celery seed

1/4 tsp savory

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 celery stalk, cut in 1" pieces

3 or 4 mushrooms, sliced thick

1/2 cup diced onion

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup (or more) shredded cheese (gruyère, mozzarella, etc)

Preheat the oven to 375°F

Brush the pork with olive oil. Combine the garlic powder, thyme, smoked paprika, celery seed, savory, salt and pepper and sprinkle on both sides of the meat. Heat a 9" cast iron skillet with a drizzle of olive oil to medium high. Brown pork chops on each side for 2 minutes. Then scatter the carrots, celery, mushrooms and onion in the pan and pour the broth in at the side. Top with cheese and cover with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and return the pan to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes. The internal temperature of the pork should be 145°F.

Serves 2

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Blueberry Skillet Pancake

Juicy blueberries in a crispy, fluffy pancake and no flipping pancakes as this beauty bakes in the oven! Bonus, if there are leftovers, this makes a nice piece of cake with tea for dessert too!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oat flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tbsps sugar

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbsps butter, divided

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups milk

1 tbsp vinegar

2 eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups blueberries

10" cast iron skillet

Preheat the oven to 375°F and place the skillet in the oven on the middle rack.

Add the vinegar to the milk and set aside. Mix the oat flour, a.p. flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Melt 2 tbsps butter in a bowl in the microwave for 20 seconds then add the milk/vinegar. Whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla then combine the dry and wet ingredients. Fold in the egg whites and let the batter rest for 10 minutes. 

Remove the skillet from the oven, place 2 tbsps butter in the skillet and coat the bottom and sides by swirling around. Pour the batter in and top with blueberries. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Drizzle with maple syrup and add some fresh juicy blueberries.

Serves 4-6

Adapted from thekitchn.com

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Loaded Potato Frittata

Frittatas are one of those meals you can pull out of your back pocket when you need a quick and hearty meal any time of the day. And you can use up some bits and pieces leftover from other meals... add some roasted veggies, or chopped meat as long as the total adds up to 2 cups (substituting some of the potatoes for the add-ins).

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 cups cooked, diced potatoes (great use of leftovers!)

salt and pepper to taste

1 bell pepper, diced (save a slice for the top if you want to get fancy)

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp turmeric 

2/3 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese

2 tbsps freshly chopped parsley

1 tbsp olive oil

Whisk eggs, salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, turmeric and parsley together. Stir in the cheese. A lot of frittata recipes add cream but this one does not. (I figured if the Pioneer Woman can make a frittata without cream then so can I!)

Heat olive oil to medium heat in a 9" cast iron pan or use a non-stick skillet. Either one will work to ensure the eggs don't stick, just make sure you use an oven-safe pan. Add onion and bell pepper and cook 4-5 minutes. Add potatoes and cook 1 minute. I used some leftover boiled, skin on new potatoes here. Next distribute the veggies evenly over the bottom of the pan then pour in the eggs. Salt and pepper all over.

As it cooks lift the edges to let uncooked egg from the top run to the bottom to cook. When top is no longer runny put the pan in the oven at 400°F for 4-5 minutes.

Let stand 3-5 minutes before slicing to serve.

Serves 4 with a nice side salad.

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Peach Blueberry Cobbler

Crispy edged cobbler with sweet peach slices and plump, juicy blueberries. Just get me a big spoon!

Ingredients:

1 cup Bisquick baking mix (or homemade mix, see below)

2 tbsps oats

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups (14 oz) canned sliced peaches

1 1/2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Mix the Bisquick, oats, cinnamon and milk together, then stir in the melted butter. Pour into an ungreased 9" cast iron pan or 8" square baking dish.

Mix the sugar with the fruit and spoon it on top of the batter. Bake at 375°F for 50-60 minutes.

Serve warm ... plain or with a dusting of icing sugar, ice cream or whipped cream. 

Link to my Homemade Bisquick Baking Mix recipe:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2016/03/homemade-bisquick-baking-mix.html

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Grilled Apple Blueberry Skillet Crisp

Why does everything taste even better when it's cooked and eaten outside?

Ingredients:

5 cups apples, sliced

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

2 tbsps flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/2 cup oats

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/4 tsp salt

Oil a 9" cast iron skillet. 

Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt and toss with apples and blueberries. Pour into the skillet.

Mix the oats, brown sugar, butter and salt and crumble over the fruit.

Grill on the BBQ on medium high indirect heat, closed cover, for 30-40 minutes.

Delicious plain or with a big old scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Apple Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Easy and decadent at the same time. I used the last of this year's garden rhubarb in this creamy and crunchy pie.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped rhubarb

1 cup sliced apple

1 1/2 cups strawberries, halved or sliced if large

3 eggs

1/2 cup baking mix like Bisquick (or homemade see below for the recipe link)

3 tbsps melted butter

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk

Streusel topping:

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

2 tbsps brown sugar

sprinkle of cinnamon

Mix 1/4 cup sugar with the prepared fruit and place in the bottom of an oiled 9" cast iron pan or pie plate.

In a blender combine the eggs, baking mix, melted butter, salt, cinnamon, 1 cup sugar, vanilla and milk and pour over the fruit. 

Combine the streusel ingredients and distribute over the top of the pie. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake at 375°F for 50-55 minutes.

Cool before slicing then enjoy with coffee or a nice dessert wine.

See below for homemade baking mix recipe 🠋

Homemade Bisquick baking mix recipe:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2016/03/homemade-bisquick-baking-mix.html

Blueberry Lemon Cake with Mint

This unpretentious little blueberry cake has a subtle lemon mint punch!

Topping:

1/4 cup flour 

2 tbsps sugar

2 tbsps cold butter

Cake:

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbsps finely chopped mint

zest of 1 lemon

3 tbsps fresh lemon juice

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup blueberries

9" cast iron pan or cake pan

First add vinegar to the milk and set aside.

Then make the topping... mix the flour and sugar together and cut the cold butter in. Rub together a bit with your fingers until crumbly and set aside.

For the cake, stir the flour, baking powder, sugar, mint and lemon zest together. Then add the lemon juice, egg, milk with vinegar, and melted butter. Mix until just combined and pour into a greased pan. Add 1/2 the blueberries on top.

Sprinkle the topping over the berries.

Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes then scatter the rest of the berries on top and bake an additional 20-25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Cool about 20-30 minutes before cutting.

Apple Blackberry Ricotta Pie

Delicately sweetened, with pops of juicy berries and creamy ricotta filling, this is next level apple pie!

Ingredients:

1 cup ricotta

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

3 tbsps butter, at room temperature

3-4 apples, sliced

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup blackberries

2 tsps sugar

pie dough 

First roll out your pastry, either homemade or store bought, placing it in a 9" cast iron pan (or pie plate). Make sure there is a good amount of overhang because it will be folded up over the edge of the pie later for that rustic look.

In a bowl combine the sugar and butter then add the ricotta and egg. Mix well.

Fill the pie shell with the ricotta filling. Slice the apples and toss with lemon juice. Starting along the outside edge begin placing slices, slightly overlapping, around in 2 rows leaving just the center of the filling exposed.

Toss the blackberries with 2 tsps of sugar and place in the center and over the inner row of apples. Any leftover sugar may be sprinkled over the top of the pie. 

Begin bringing the sides of the pastry up and over the outer row of apples, pinch the dough together as you move around the pie, leaving the berries exposed.

On the lower rack of the oven, bake at 375°F for 50-55 minutes.

Cool, then refrigerate 3 hours before slicing.

Adapted from: instructables.com

Cranberry Apple Pie

Grab some cranberries at the grocery store now while they're still around and throw them in your freezer. Then in the spring when there isn't a cranberry in sight, and you have a craving for this pie, you'll be glad you squirreled some away!

Ingredients:

3 cups sliced apples, about 4-5 medium apples

1 1/2 cups cranberries

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 - 1/2 tsp allspice

2 tbsps cornstarch

2 tsps instant vanilla pudding powder OR 2 tsps vanilla extract

1/4 cup butter

pie dough for 9" pie

egg white (optional)

Toss the apples, cranberries (fresh or frozen), sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cornstarch and vanilla together.

Roll out the pie dough larger than the cast iron pan and place it on the bottom of the pan with the extra hanging over.

Dump the filling in and distribute chunks of butter on top. Then draw the sides of the dough up over the filling, folding it as you move around the pie.

Brush the dough with egg white for a glossy, golden crust when baked.

Then bake in a 400°F oven for 35-40 minutes.

The smell is amazing!!

Cool 3-4 hours before slicing.

Always good with a scoop of ice cream!