Lemon Blueberry Cornbread with Buttermilk and Fresh Blueberries

Cornbread hasn’t always been a savory-only thing for me. I’ve baked chocolate chips into it lots of times, and every summer I find another way to pair corn with blueberries. They’re a favorite together in salad, and blueberry corn ice cream is a flavor I’ve never quite gotten over. I first had it at a state fair, which is a very normal place to learn that corn belongs in ice cream.

So blueberries in cornbread feel like a natural progression to me. The lemon is here because I love lemon with blueberries, and if I was going to have this with coffee, I wanted it to at least feel like breakfast had been considered.

I baked it in a round pan, scattered more blueberries over the top, and added enough sugar to the surface to give it some crunch. I used regular sugar, but sparkling sugar on top would be even better. Once it came out of the oven, it looked like a cake, which was not an accident. Cornbread for breakfast should at least look presentable.

It’s still cornbread, though, and that’s the best part. Serve it for brunch with butter and honey, then bring the leftovers back out with fried chicken at dinner. Some recipes are more useful when you don’t make them pick a side.

What Makes This Recipe Different

• I wanted blueberries and lemon, and still wanted this to taste like cornbread. I went down a rabbit hole trying different cornmeal grinds, before settling on a medium-grind. I also stopped the sugar at one-third cup, which is enough for breakfast without making it too sweet for dinner.
• Most of the lemon flavor comes from the zest of two whole lemons, not a heroic amount of juice that would make the batter sour or throw off the texture. The zest gave me all the lemon flavor I wanted without changing the batter.
• I used both butter and oil because I wanted the cornbread to stay tender more than one day. The butter adds its usual richness and the oil keeps it from drying out while it’s sitting on the counter.
• Saving a few blueberries for the top is mostly about how it looks. I like seeing them there, because the outside of something should tell the truth about what’s happening inside. Between the sugar on top and the round pan, it ends up looking very brunch-y without losing its cornbread credentials.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour – This gives the batter enough support to hold the blueberries without making the cornbread dense. An extra tablespoon coats the berries so they’re less likely to sink.
• Medium-grind yellow cornmeal – This keeps plenty of corn texture without becoming gritty.
• Granulated sugar – One-third cup in the batter is enough, then another teaspoon goes over the top for a little crunch.
• Baking powder and baking soda – The two work together to give the cornbread some height. The baking soda reacts with the buttermilk and lemon juice, which is why it’s here instead of relying on baking powder alone.
• Kosher salt – Blueberries, lemon, corn, and sugar all taste better once salt gets involved.
• Eggs – They hold everything together and help the cornbread slice neatly once it has cooled.
• Buttermilk – This keeps the cornbread tender and gives the baking soda the acidity it needs. It also adds tang, which is good with the lemon and blueberries.
• Unsalted butter – Adds buttery flavor. Let is cool slightly after melting so it blends easily with the other wet ingredients.
• Neutral vegetable oil – The oil keeps the cornbread moist after the first day. Butter makes it taste good, oil helps it stay that way.
• Fresh lemons – Most of the lemon flavor comes from the zest. The juice adds acidity and reinforces the lemon without making the batter sour.
• Vanilla extract – Enough to make the blueberries feel more breakfasty. It will not taste like vanilla cornbread.
• Fresh blueberries – Most go into the batter and a handful stays out for the top. This way there are blueberries all through the slices. Frozen blueberries can be used, but add them straight from the freezer so they don’t turn the batter purple.

How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cornbread

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (prepare the pan and dry ingredients)
  Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and grease an 8-inch round baking pan or a 9-inch cast iron skillet. Before you get going, set aside a small handful of blueberries and a teaspoon of sugar for the top so you don’t accidentally use everything in the batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
• Step Two (mix the wet ingredients)
  In a separate bowl or large measuring vessel, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, vegetable oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Let the butter cool for a few minutes first so it doesn’t start cooking the eggs, because that’s not the kind of breakfast we’re making.
• Step Three (finish the batter)
  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until you no longer see any dry flour. The batter will look lumpy, and this is where you stop stirring. Toss the blueberries with the tablespoon of flour, then fold them into the batter with a spatula. The flour helps keep the berries more evenly distributed instead of letting them head straight for the bottom.
• Step Four (bake)
  Spread the batter into the prepared pan, then scatter the reserved blueberries over the top and sprinkle on the reserved sugar. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Don’t wait for it to come out completely dry. That’s how good cornbread becomes regrettable cornbread.
• Step Five (cool and serve)
  Let the cornbread cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before slicing. I know it’s sitting there looking like breakfast, but give it a few minutes. It will cut much more neatly and still be warm when you serve it.

Recipe Tips

• Once the wet and dry ingredients come together, stir only until you can no longer see any dry flour. The batter is supposed to look lumpy, and trying to smooth it out will give you a tougher cornbread.
• The batter will be thick, so take a minute to spread it evenly before adding the reserved blueberries and sugar.
• Start checking the cornbread at 22 minutes, especially if you’re using cast iron, since the pan you choose can change the baking time. The toothpick can have a few crumbs attached, but it shouldn’t come out with wet batter.

Storage

• Let the cornbread cool completely, then cover the pan or move the slices to an airtight container. It will keep at room temperature for up to two days. The oil helps it stay moist, although the sugar on top will lose some of its crunch as it sits.
• For longer storage, refrigerate it for up to five days. I like bringing a slice back to life in the microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds rather than eating it cold. You can also split and toast a slice in a skillet with a little butter, which is a very good breakfast the next day.
• To freeze it, wrap individual slices and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to three months. Thaw them at room temperature or warm them directly from frozen in the microwave.

FAQs

• Is lemon blueberry cornbread very sweet?
  No. It has enough sugar to work for breakfast or brunch, but it still tastes like cornbread rather than a blueberry muffin. Add honey or lemon curd at the table when you want it sweeter.
• Can I use frozen blueberries?
  Yes. Add them while they’re still frozen and expect the batter to pick up some purple streaks. They may also add a couple of minutes to the baking time.
• Can I bake this in a cast iron skillet?
  Yes. Use a 9-inch cast iron skillet. Grease it before adding the batter, and begin checking the cornbread at the early end of the baking range since cast iron holds heat differently than a cake pan.
• Can I make lemon blueberry cornbread muffins?
  Yes. Divide the batter among greased or lined muffin cups and bake at 400°F. Begin checking them around 15 minutes. The exact yield will depend on how full you fill the cups.
• Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
  Buttermilk is better because its acidity works with the baking soda and gives the cornbread a softer texture. In a pinch, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup, then add enough whole milk to make 1 cup. Let it sit for about five minutes before using.
• Can I make it sweeter?
  Yes. Increase the sugar in the batter to ½ cup if you want it closer to breakfast cake. I wouldn’t go much higher because the extra sugar starts to overpower the lemon and blueberries.
• What should I serve with lemon blueberry cornbread?
• For breakfast or brunch, serve it warm with butter, honey, jam, or lemon curd. At dinner, it is especially good with fried or baked chicken, barbecue, or anything salty enough to appreciate what the blueberries are doing.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• Some things make sense together before anyone thinks to put them in the same place.
• Corn and blueberries have met before. This time they stayed for coffee.
• Lemon can make everything easier to understand without becoming the main thing.
• Sweetness doesn’t make something unserious.
• Cornmeal remembers what it is, even after you add fruit, lemon, and enough sugar to confuse it.
• The blueberries on top aren’t doing anything different than the ones inside. They’re just easier to see and the reason you keep cutting another slice.
• There’s a difference between being present and becoming part of the meal.
• A recipe can have more than one place at the table. People usually do too.
• What belongs together doesn’tt always arrive at the same time.
• I’ve stopped assuming time improves everything. Sometimes it only gives a pattern more years to be noticed.
• You can keep saving something for later until later becomes the only place it exists.
• Leftovers have always been proof that something can come back later and still belong.
• Not everything that does well in two worlds should live between them forever.
• A recipe survives being called the wrong thing all the time. The people arguing about it usually don’t.

More Recipes with Lemon and Blueberries

• Lemon Blueberry Sour Cream Bundt Cake – Sour cream, blueberries, lemon glaze.
• Blueberry Lemon Cake – Sheet cake, homemade blueberry glaze.
• Lemon Blueberry Crumble Bars – Oat streusel, creamy lemon filling.
• Lemon Cornmeal Cake – Blueberry sauce, lemon glaze.
• Lemon Ricotta Pancakes – Homemade blueberry sauce, ricotta.
• Lemon Blueberry Cake Mix Cookies – White chocolate, lemon glaze.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Print

Lemon Blueberry Cornbread

Tender buttermilk lemon blueberry cornbread filled with fresh blueberries and flavored with the zest of two lemons. Sweet enough for breakfast with butter and honey, but just as good with fried chicken or barbecue.

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword blueberry cornbread, buttermilk cornbread, cast iron cornbread, lemon blueberry cornbread, sweet cornbread

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Cooling: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 8 to 12 slices

Calories 215kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• cake pan 8-inch round or 9-inch (23 cm) cast iron skillet - For baking the cornbread.
• mixing bowls (large and medium or a large measuring jug) For making the batter.
• whisk For a smooth batter.
• rubber spatula For smoothing.

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (150 g) medium-grind yellow cornmeal
• ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tsps (8 g) baking powder
• ½ tsp (2 g) baking soda
• ¾ tsp (4 g) kosher salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
• ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) vegetable oil or canola oil
• finely grated zest of two lemons
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

Blueberries:

• 1½ cups (225 g) fresh blueberries
• 1 tbsp (8 g) all-purpose flour

For the Top:

• a small handful of fresh blueberries
• 1 tsp (8 g) granulated sugar (reserved from the intial measuremnt)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease an 8-inch (20 cm) round baking pan or a 9-inch (23 cm) cast iron skillet. Reserve a small handful of blueberries and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar for the top.
• Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt in a large mixing bowl until evenly combined.
  1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (150 g) medium-grind yellow cornmeal, ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar, 2 tsps (8 g) baking powder, ½ tsp (2 g) baking soda, ¾ tsp (4 g) kosher salt
• In a separate bowl or large measuring jug, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, vegetable oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  2 large eggs, 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter, 2 tbsps (30 ml) vegetable oil, finely grated zest of two lemons, 2 tbsps (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until no dry streaks of flour remain. The batter should look slightly lumpy. Overmixing can produce a tougher cornbread.
• Toss the blueberries with the tablespoon of flour until lightly coated, then gently fold them into the batter with a spatula. The flour helps keep the blueberries evenly distributed throughout the cornbread as it bakes.
  1½ cups (225 g) fresh blueberries, 1 tbsp (8 g) all-purpose flour
• Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Scatter the reserved blueberries over the top and sprinkle with the reserved teaspoon of sugar.
  a small handful of fresh blueberries, 1 tsp (8 g) granulated sugar
• Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
• Let the cornbread cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. This short cooling time allows the crumb to finish setting for cleaner slices.

Notes

• Medium-grind yellow cornmeal keeps the cornbread a tender with enough texture to remind you it's still cornbread.
• Fresh blueberries work best, but frozen blueberries can be used straight from the freezer without thawing.
• Most of the lemon flavor comes from the zest, so don't skip it.
• Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
• Freeze individual slices for up to 3 months.

 

 

If you’re making this Lemon Blueberry Cornbread, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 102g | Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 280mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 210IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 1mg

Have you made this Lemon Blueberry Cornbread? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Lemon Blueberry Cornbread appeared first on Noble Pig.

Print

Grilled Corn Salad with Avocado and Basil

This grilled corn salad with avocado and basil keeps the ingredient list short so the smoky, lightly charred corn stays the focus. A simple lemon and red wine vinegar vinaigrette, creamy avocado, and fresh basil finish the salad without weighing it down.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword basil corn salad, corn avocado salad, fresh corn salad, grilled corn salad, grilled corn salad with avocado and basil, summer corn salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 320kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• grill Cooks the corn and adds light char.
• tongs Turns the corn while grilling.
• mixing bowls (large). Tosses the salad together.
• Knife Removes the kernals from the cob.
• Cutting board For cutting the corn and avocado.

Ingredients

Roasted Corn:

• 5 ears fresh corn shucked (silks removed)
• 2-3 tbsps (30-45 ml) olive oil divided
• salt and pepper

Salad:

• ½ cup (80 g) finely diced red onion
• 2 ripe avocados cut into chunks
• ½ cup (12 g) julienned fresh basil leaves
• 3 tbsps (45 ml) olive oil
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 3 tbsps (45 ml) red wine vinegar
• ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
• ½ tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (350°F to 400°F / 175°C to 205°C). If needed, clean the grill grates and lightly oil them so the corn releases easily.
• Brush the shucked corn with 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill for 10 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the kernels are tender and lightly charred on all sides. You're looking for browned spots while the kernels stay plump and juicy.
  5 ears fresh corn, 2-3 tbsps (30-45 ml) olive oil, salt and pepper
• Transfer the corn to a cutting board and let it cool until it's comfortable to handle. Stand each ear on its end and carefully slice the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife.
• Add the grilled corn, red onion, avocado, and basil to a large bowl.
  ½ cup (80 g) finely diced red onion, 2 ripe avocados, ½ cup (12 g) julienned fresh basil leaves
• Drizzle with the 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar. Season with the sea salt and black pepper, then gently toss until everything is evenly coated without breaking up the avocado too much.
  3 tbsps (45 ml) olive oil, 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, 3 tbsps (45 ml) red wine vinegar, ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt, ½ tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
• Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, then serve immediately.

Notes

• Grill the corn until lightly charred, not heavily blackened. The kernels should stay juicy while developing a little caramelization.
• Let the corn cool slightly before adding the avocado so it doesn't soften too much.
• Fold the salad gently to keep the avocado pieces intact.
• For the freshest flavor, serve the salad shortly after tossing.

 

If you’re making this Grilled Corn Salad, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 250g | Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 780mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 720IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Have you made this Grilled Corn Salad with Avocado and Basil? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Grilled Corn Salad with Avocado and Basil appeared first on Noble Pig.

Air Fryer Zucchini Fries with Lemon Garlic Aioli

It’s that time of year when zucchini begins its annual hostile takeover of the garden, and after you’ve already baked it and grilled it, it’s time to make something that feels completely different. No one has ever complained when these air fryer zucchini fries replaced the potato version next to their burger or sandwich, or when they showed up on an appetizer platter instead. They definitely grow on you, even the French fry purists.

My own attachment to fried zucchini started sometime in the early 1980s, when Carl’s Jr. began selling these thick breaded zucchini coins with ranch dressing. Everyone else wanted French fries, which meant everyone also expected to share them with each other. I wanted the zucchini, no one wanted any of mine, and I considered that one of the best arrangements.

I always liked zucchini. My mom usually sautéed the ones from the garden with cherry tomatoes and onions, and I would happily eat that too. But when the fried version came out, it was a completely different kind of craving. They were crisp on the outside with a soft middle, and they came with a container of cold ranch for dipping. It became the thing I ordered every time we went.

For years, though, it stayed mostly in the category of something I ate away from home. Frying zucchini myself felt like more trouble than I wanted for what was supposed to be a snack. Then along came the air fryer and it changed that. It gives me the same contrast I liked with the Carl’s Jr. version, but without a pan of oil, and the thicker fry shape holds together much better than thin slices once it’s breaded and cooked.

My recipe is more seasoned than the one I grew up eating, with seasoning in both the flour and breadcrumbs and chipotle powder for smoky heat. I traded the ranch for lemon garlic aioli, although the entire idea is still the same with crisp zucchini, a creamy dip, and still no obligation to share with anyone.

What Makes This Recipe Different

• I season both the flour and the breadcrumbs because I don’t want all the flavor sitting on the very outside. Every layer gets something, so every bite tastes seasoned instead of just the crust.
• I use Lawry’s Total Seasoning because it already has the garlic, onion, herbs, and salt I want without turning this into a pantry inventory. I use it in my corn succotash too, and the more I cook with it, the more I like how much flavor it adds without needing a laundry list of spices.
• Chipotle chile powder is here for its smoky warmth. It’s not enough to make the fries hot, but it keeps the coating from tasting like plain breadcrumbs wrapped around zucchini.
• The zucchini does best when it’s cut into thicker fry-shaped pieces instead of thin strips or coins. This way, the outside gets crisp while the center stays soft and creamy instead of drying out.
• Spraying them with olive oil before cooking and again after flipping is key. The second spray is what gets rid of the pale breadcrumb patches air fryers sometimes leave behind.
• The lemon garlic aioli is an upgrade from ranch dressing. I like it so much with my fried artichokes hearts that I use it here too. The sour cream keeps it tangy enough to balance the crispy coating without overpowering the zucchini.

Ingredients

• Zucchini – Medium-sized zucchini are the easiest to cut into fry-shaped sticks. The very large ones tend to have softer centers and more seeds, so I cut those a little thinner when that’s what I have.
• All-purpose flour – This is the first layer of the coating. It gives the egg something to grab onto, which helps keep the breadcrumbs from coming off later.
• Eggs – They connect the flour to the breadcrumbs. I start with two and beat a third if I need it rather than wasting one.
• Plain breadcrumbs – They give the zucchini an even coating. Panko works too, but the coating will be crunchier and less even.
• Lawry’s Total Seasoning – Most of the flavor comes from this. It gives me garlic, onion, herbs, and salt without having to measure half the spice cabinet.
• Ground black pepper and chipotle powder – The black pepper adds bite, while the chipotle adds smoky warmth to the coating without making the fries spicy.
• Olive oil spray – This is how you get the golden color instead of that pale and dusty look. I use an olive oil mister, but olive oil cooking spray works too.
• Sour cream and mayonnaise – Sour cream adds tang to the aioli, while the mayonnaise adds body.
• Fresh lemon juice and zest – The juice gives the aioli acidity, and the zest makes the lemon flavor much more pronounced without thinning the sauce.
• Garlic – Grate it into a paste so it disappears into the aioli instead of leaving raw pieces behind.
• Dry mustard, sea salt, and white pepper – The dry mustard does its thing in the background, while the white pepper adds flavor without leaving visual black specks in the aioli.

How to Make Air Fryer Zucchini Fries

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (make the aioli)
  Make the lemon garlic aioli first so it has time to sit while you work on the zucchini. Stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, grated garlic, dry mustard, sea salt, and white pepper until it’s smooth. Cover it and put it in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, although 30 minutes is better, and overnight is even better if you’re thinking ahead.
• Step Two (prepare the zucchini)
  Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise, then cut each half in half again. Cut those quarters crosswise so you end up with sturdy fry-shaped pieces about 3 inches long. Set up three shallow bowls: one with the flour and half of the Lawry’s Total Seasoning, black pepper, and chipotle powder, one with the beaten eggs, and one with the breadcrumbs and the remaining seasonings. Coat each zucchini fry in the seasoned flour, dip it into the egg, then press it into the breadcrumbs, turning it as needed so you don’t end up with bare patches.
• Step Three (air fry the zucchini fries)
  Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for about 5 minutes. Line the zucchini fries up in a single layer like little soldiers. A snug double row is fine. They don’t need much space between them as long as they aren’t piled on top of each other. Give them a light spray with olive oil and air fry for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway through and spraying the second side lightly with oil. They are ready when the coating is golden and crisp and the zucchini can be easily pierced with a fork.
• Step Four (serve)
  Serve the zucchini fries right away with the chilled lemon garlic aioli, while the coating still has the crunch.

Recipe Tips

• Start with room temperature zucchini. Cold zucchini will lower the temperature inside the air fryer and slow the browning.
• Cut the zucchini into fries, but adjust as you go. If one end is much thicker than the other, cut that part a little thinner so everything finishes at about the same time.
• You might not need the third egg, depending on the size of the zucchini and how heavily you coat them. Two are often enough.
• Press the breadcrumbs onto the zucchini instead of giving them a quick roll and hoping for the best. The better the coating is attached before they go into the air fryer, the more of it will still be there when they come out.
• Don’t skip the olive oil. I spray the breaded zucchini before they start cooking and once more after flipping. That is what helps the breadcrumbs brown instead of looking pale and unappetizing.
• Keep the zucchini in a single layer instead of stacking them. They can sit fairly close together, but once they are piled on top of each other, the coating underneath will not brown.
• Let the aioli sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. The lemon and garlic taste much better once they have had time together, and it’s even better made the day before.
• Serve the zucchini fries as soon as they come out. The coating is at its crunchiest right away, and the zucchini will naturally soften as it sits.

Storage

• Keep leftover zucchini fries in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. They will soften in the refrigerator, but the air fryer brings them back better than anything else. Reheat them at 375°F for a few minutes, just until the coating is crisp again and the center is hot.
• You can also reheat them in the oven, but I would skip the microwave unless a soft breadcrumb coating sounds appealing.
• Store the lemon garlic aioli separately in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Give it a stir before serving.
• You can freeze them after cooking in a single layer first, then transfer them to a freezer bag once they’re solid. Reheat them from frozen in the air fryer until hot and crisp. The texture will be softer than a fresh batch, but the air fryer gives you the best chance of getting some of the coating crisp again.

FAQs

• Can I make these zucchini fries in the oven?
  Yes. Arrange them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, spray them well with olive oil, and bake at 425°F until golden and crisp, flipping halfway through. They will take longer than they do in the air fryer. If your oven has a convection setting, use 400°F instead.
• Can I prepare the zucchini fries ahead of time?
  You can cut the zucchini and mix the aioli ahead, but I would wait to bread the fries until you are close to cooking them. Once the coating sits on the zucchini, moisture starts working its way into the breadcrumbs.
• Do I need to peel the zucchini?
  No. The skin helps the fries hold together, and it softens as the zucchini cooks.
• Why didn’t my zucchini fries get crispy?
  Usually, they needed more oil, the basket was not fully preheated, or the breading had bare patches. Spray them lightly before cooking and again after flipping, and press the breadcrumbs on well before they go into the air fryer.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• I have been choosing zucchini over French fries since the early eighties, which should have warned everyone I was never going to be easy to feed.
• Nobody wanted to share my fried zucchini, and I learned very young that rejection occasionally comes with benefits.
• There’s freedom in ordering the thing nobody else wants. And the reward for choosing alone is that nobody asks for half.
• And wanting something nobody else wants is not the same as wanting the wrong thing.
• In fact, sometimes nobody wants what you chose until they see you enjoying it without them.
• I’m rarely interested in the approved version of anything.
• Some of the best decisions in my life began with everyone else saying, “Really?”
• There are things I picked out before I had the language to defend them.
• The air fryer didn’t change my feelings about fried zucchini. It removed the final excuse for not making it often.
• Zucchini has spent its entire life being told it needs to become bread before anyone pays attention.
• There is a difference between being mild and having nothing to say.
• Zucchini is underestimated by people who only met it under poor circumstances. The same could be said for people.
• The zucchini everyone ignored became much more interesting once it stopped asking to be chosen.
• Some things stay together better once they’ve been coated in enough layers.
• The ones with the roughest edges usually crisped the best.

More Things to Do with All That Zucchini

• Tuscan Chicken Zucchini Casserole – Cheesy chicken, zucchini, and tomatoes.
• Chocolate Zucchini Cake – Orange zest cream cheese frosting.
• Honey Zucchini Bread – Cinnamon-spiced and lightly sweet.
• Bisquick Zucchini Pie – Roasted peppers and salty cheese.
• Zucchini Pistachio Cupcakes – Lime icing and crunchy pistachios.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Print

Air Fryer Zucchini Fries

Air Fryer Zucchini Fries have a seasoned flour and breadcrumb coating with smoky chipotle throughout, then cook in the air fryer until crisp outside and tender in the center. The chilled lemon garlic aioli adds fresh lemon, grated garlic, and a creamy tang taste.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword air fryer appetizer, air fryer side dish, air fryer zucchini fries, breaded zucchini fries, chipotle zucchini fries, crispy zucchini fries, garli aioli, zucchini sticks

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 32 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 428kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• Air Fryer For cooking the zucchini fries until crispy.
• mixing bowls For the flour, eggs and breadcrumb topping. Also, for making the aioli.
• microplane grater or fine grater. For zesting the lemon and grating the garlic into a paste.

Ingredients

Zucchini Fries:

• 3 medium zucchini cut into 3-inch sticks (about 40-45)
• 3 tbsps (45 ml) olive oil applied with a mister or cooking spray
• ½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsps (18 g) Lawry's Total Seasoning divided
• 1 tsp (2 g) ground black pepper divided
• 1 cup (110 g) plain breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp (2 g) chipotle chile powder
• 2-3 large eggs beaten

Lemon Garlic Aioli:

• ½ cup (120 g) full-fat sour cream
• ½ cup (120 g) full-fat mayonnaise
• zest of one lemon
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic grated into a paste
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) dry mustard
• ¼ tsp (1.5 g) fine sea salt plus more to taste
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) white pepper

Instructions

• Stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, grated garlic, dry mustard, sea salt, and white pepper until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving. For a more developed lemon and garlic flavor, chill for 30 minutes or overnight.
  ½ cup (120 g) full-fat sour cream, ½ cup (120 g) full-fat mayonnaise, zest of one lemon, 2 tbsps (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) dry mustard, ¼ tsp (1.5 g) fine sea salt, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) white pepper
• Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise, then cut each half in half again. Slice each quarter in half lengthwise to make eight long wedges per zucchini, then cut each wedge in half crosswise to create approximately 3-inch (7.5-centimeter) zucchini fries. Lightly spray the zucchini with olive oil.
  3 medium zucchini, 3 tbsps (45 ml) olive oil
• Whisk together the flour, half of the Lawry’s Total Seasoning, half of the black pepper, and half of the chipotle powder in one shallow bowl. Combine the breadcrumbs with the remaining Lawry’s Total Seasoning, black pepper, and chipotle powder in a second shallow bowl. Place the beaten eggs in a third shallow bowl.
  ½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour, 2 tbsps (18 g) Lawry's Total Seasoning, 1 tsp (2 g) ground black pepper, 1 cup (110 g) plain breadcrumbs, 1 tsp (2 g) chipotle chile powder, 2-3 large eggs
• Coat each zucchini fry in the seasoned flour, dip it into the beaten eggs, then press it into the seasoned breadcrumbs until evenly coated on all sides.
• Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes.
• Arrange the zucchini fries in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving space between each piece. Lightly spray with olive oil and air fry for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway through and spraying lightly with olive oil again, until the coating is crisp and golden and the zucchini is tender.
• Serve immediately with the chilled lemon garlic aioli.

Notes

• Cut unusually large zucchini into slightly thinner sticks so the centers become tender before the breadcrumb coating browns too much.
• Cook the zucchini fries in batches rather than overcrowding the air fryer basket. Space between the fries allows the hot air to circulate around the coating.
• Spray the breadcrumb coating lightly before cooking and again after flipping. Pale or dry-looking areas usually need a little more oil.
• Serve the zucchini fries immediately. The coating is crispiest straight from the air fryer, and the zucchini softens as it cools.
• Store leftover zucchini fries in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the air fryer at 375°F (190°C) for 3 to 5 minutes. Microwaving will soften the breadcrumb coating.
• Store the lemon garlic aioli separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze the aioli.

 

 

If you’re making these Air Fryer Zucchini Fries, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 215g | Calories: 428kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 744mg | Potassium: 403mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 3mg

Have you made these Air Fryer Zucchini Fries? I’d love to hear how they turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Air Fryer Zucchini Fries appeared first on Noble Pig.

Heirloom Tomato Salad Over Whipped Ricotta Feta with Fresh Basil and Lemon

This heirloom tomato salad over whipped ricotta feta is a recipe I’ve been thinking about lately. This past week, the tomato girl finally showed up at the farmers market with her heirloom tomatoes, and I made this a few different ways before deciding this was how I wanted it to taste. Really ripe ones don’t need much. A light ricotta-feta spread and a very simple lemon vinaigrette add enough nuance without covering up everything that makes heirloom tomatoes worth waiting for.

What I wanted to do was keep the tomatoes in large pieces and spoon them over the whipped ricotta-feta instead of making it into another composed crostini recipe. Heirloom tomatoes have a lot more range than the tomatoes we eat the rest of the year. Some are sweet and almost fruity, others are bright and tangy, and the darker ones, my favorites, have an earthy flavor. I wanted the cheese to catch all the tomato juice underneath, while the basil, lemon, red wine vinegar, and garlic give the tomatoes enough flavor without covering up what makes each one taste different.

You can put the whole bowl in the middle of the table and let everyone take from it, either as part of dinner or with toasted sourdough for a small bite. Of course any ripe tomatoes will work, but heirlooms are especially good because every slice adds something different, which is why I wait for them.

What Makes This Recipe Different

• I used ricotta with the feta because whipped feta on its own can be pretty salty and dense. The ricotta softens it and makes it creamier, which is what I wanted under the tomatoes.
• Keeping the dressing simple is really important with heirloom tomatoes if you want to taste what makes each one different. A bigger vinaigrette started to make every tomato taste the same, which defeated the entire point.
• I dressed the tomatoes before putting them on the platter so every piece had olive oil, vinegar, lemon, garlic, and basil on it. A drizzle over the top always misses half of them, and then one tomato gets everything while another gets nothing.
• I keep the tomatoes and whipped ricotta-feta in separate layers instead of mixing them together. The tomato juices run down into the cheese while the tomatoes stay intact on top, which keeps it from turning into one big creamy salad.

Ingredients

• Heirloom tomatoes – Look for tomatoes that are ripe but still firm enough to slice. I like using a mix of colors because some are sweet, others are more acidic, and the darker varieties have an earthier flavor.
• Whole milk ricotta and feta – Ricotta keeps the base soft and creamy, while the feta adds salt and tang. If I have homemade ricotta cheese on hand, I’ll use that.
• Extra virgin olive oil – Use one you like because it goes into both the whipped ricotta-feta and the dressing, so you really taste it.
• Fresh lemon juice and zest – The juice goes into both parts of the recipe, while the zest gives the whipped ricotta-feta more lemon flavor without thinning it out.
• Red wine vinegar – I used this instead of balsamic because it adds acidity without adding extra sweetness.
• Fresh garlic – Grating it into a paste helps it disappear into the dressing and the whipped cheese instead of leaving raw pieces behind.
• Fresh basil – This is one place where dried basil isn’t the same. Fresh basil and ripe tomatoes belong together.
• Fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper – Season both the whipped ricotta-feta and the tomatoes as you go, especially since feta can vary quite a bit in saltiness.
• Red pepper flakes and flaky sea salt – Both are optional, but I like them at the end for a little heat and a few salty bites over the top.

How to Make Heirloom Tomato Salad Over Whipped Ricotta Feta

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (whip the cheese)
  Add the feta, ricotta, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, and sea salt to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. If it feels too thick to spread easily, add another spoonful of olive oil and blend again. Spread the whipped ricotta-feta onto a serving platter or shallow bowl, using the back of a spoon to make a few swoops for the tomatoes and the juices.
• Step Two (dress the tomatoes)
  Slice the heirloom tomatoes into thick ½-inch slices, then cut the larger slices into halves or quarters so they are easier to scoop. Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and grated garlic, then pour it over the tomatoes with the chopped basil. Toss everything gently so the tomatoes keep their shape, but every piece still gets some of the dressing.
• Step Three (assemble the salad)
  Spoon the dressed tomatoes over the whipped ricotta-feta, making sure some of the dressing and tomato juices come along too. Finish with another drizzle of olive oil, red pepper flakes, flaky sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper if you like. Serve right away. Toasted sourdough, crostini, or grilled baguette slices are great alongside it if you want them.

Recipe Tips

• Let the ricotta and feta sit out for a little while before blending. They blend together more easily when they aren’t ice cold.
• Don’t refrigerate the whole tomatoes before making the salad. They taste better at room temperature, and the texture stays much nicer.
• Use tomatoes that are fully ripe but still firm enough to slice. If they’re too soft, they’ll break apart once they’re dressed.
• Don’t drain off the tomato juices. That is some of the best part, especially once it starts running into the whipped ricotta-feta.
• Toss the tomatoes only as much as needed. Heirlooms can be delicate, and I like keeping the larger pieces intact on the platter.
• Finish with flaky sea salt at the very end. It gives you little salty bites on top without making the entire salad too salty.
• Toasted sourdough is my favorite thing to serve with this, but grilled baguette or crostini works too.

Storage

• Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to one day, but the tomatoes will be much softer and the whole dish will get juicier overnight.
• Store the tomatoes and whipped-feta ricotta separately.
• I would not freeze any part of this recipe.

FAQs

• Can I make this ahead of time?
  Yes, but wait to assemble it until just before serving. You can make the whipped ricotta-feta ahead, but dress the tomatoes at the last minute so they don’t release too much juice.
• Can I use regular tomatoes instead of heirloom tomatoes?
  Yes, but use the ripest tomatoes you can find. Heirlooms have more variation in sweetness, acidity, color, and texture, but good garden or farmers market tomatoes will still be delicious.
• Can I make the whipped ricotta-feta ahead?
  Yes. Keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. Give it a stir before spreading it onto the platter, and add a small drizzle of olive oil if it has thickened.
• What should I serve with heirloom tomato salad?
  I like serving it alongside grilled chicken, steak, fish, or even a simple pasta. If I’m serving it as an appetizer, toasted sourdough, grilled baguette, or crostini are all great choices.
• Do I need a food processor?
  A food processor gives you the smoothest texture, but a high-powered blender will also work. You can make it by hand, but it will be more rustic and not quite as creamy.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• Heirloom tomatoes are what happen when nobody asks every beautiful thing to look the same.
• Tomatoes spend all summer becoming themselves, only to be cut open the moment they finally get there.
• Some things only reveal what they’ve been holding after the knife goes through them.
• A tomato can be sweet, acidic, earthy, and slightly bruised all at once, which feels more honest than choosing one thing.
• The tomato girl appearing at the farmers market is not technically a holiday, although I have organized a surprising amount of my life around it.
• Peak season is a very brief window between not yet and too late.
• Good tomatoes make a persuasive argument for waiting, which is irritating when waiting has rarely been my preferred method of getting anywhere.
• There is a brief point every summer when tomatoes taste like everything they were supposed to be. Miss it, and no amount of optimism in January will bring it back.
• I tried giving the tomatoes more, but they were already saying enough. Every additional ingredient felt like somebody talking over the person everyone came to hear.
• The cheese catches what the tomatoes can’t keep to themselves.
• The darker tomatoes always taste as though they know something the red ones have not been told. It’s the same with red and white wine.
• The best tomatoes are usually the ones with the least interest in symmetry.
• Every slice is different, which is inconvenient only if sameness was the goal.
• Heirloom tomatoes have great shoulders.
• Cut them thick enough that they still feel like tomatoes on the fork. Thin slices turn my summer obsession into something others mistake for garnish.
• A platter in the middle of the table changes the mood. People take one piece, then another, and eventually abandon the idea that this was merely something to have before dinner.
• Some things are worth doing less to, although figuring out those things has taken me considerably longer than slicing a tomato.
• The final spoonful, streaked with tomato juice and whipped cheese, usually belongs to whoever has been paying the closest attention.

More Ways to Use Ripe Summer Tomatoes

• Cucumber Tomato Onion Salad with Apple Cider Vinegar – Crisp, juicy summer classic.
• Tomato Gratin – Also delicious with heirlooms.
• Basil Spaghetti with Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes – Peak summer pasta dinner.
• Homemade Pico de Gallo – Fresh, chunky tomato salsa.
• Roasted Tomato Burrata Dip – Blistered grape tomatoes, fresh herbs
• Cucumber Feta Salad with Red Onion and Lemon Dressing – Crisp, tangy summer salad.
• Panzanella – Bread salad starring tomatoes.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Print

Heirloom Tomato Salad Over Whipped Ricotta Feta

A fresh summer salad featuring juicy heirloom tomatoes spooned over a creamy whipped ricotta-feta base with basil and a simple lemon vinaigrette. It's an easy appetizer or light meal that makes the most of peak tomato season.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword easy summer appetizer, fresh tomato salad, heirloom tomato salad, heirloom tomatoes, summer tomato salad, tomato salad with whipped feta, whipped ricotta, whipped ricotta feta

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 355kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• food processor Whips the ricotta-feta until smooth and creamy.
• mixing bowls (large and small). Tosses the tomatoes with the dressing and whisks the vinaigrette.

Ingredients

Whipped Ricotta-Feta:

• 4 oz (113 g) ½ block feta cheese
• ¾ cup (185 g) whole milk ricotta cheese
• 2 to 3 tbsps (30-45 ml) extra virgin olive oil or olive oil
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic grated or minced
• ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt

Tomato Salad:

• 2 to 3 large (~ 2 lbs / 900 g) heirloom tomatoes sliced
• 3 tbsps (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil or olive oil
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar
• 2 tsps (10 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic grated to a paste
• ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsps (5 g) chopped fresh basil

Optional Garnishes:

• extra virgin olive oil
• red pepper flakes
• flaky sea salt
• freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

• Combine the feta, ricotta, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, and sea salt in a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy, adding a little more olive oil if needed to reach your desired consistency. Spread the whipped ricotta-feta onto a serving platter or shallow bowl.
  4 oz (113 g) ½ block feta cheese, ¾ cup (185 g) whole milk ricotta cheese, 2 to 3 tbsps (30-45 ml) extra virgin olive oil, zest of 1 lemon, 2 tbsps (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, 1 clove garlic, ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
• Slice the heirloom tomatoes into ½-inch (1.25 cm) thick slices, then cut them into halves or quarters, depending on their size.
  2 to 3 large (~ 2 lbs / 900 g) heirloom tomatoes
• Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, grated garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl until well combined.
  3 tbsps (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar, 2 tsps (10 ml) fresh lemon juice, 1 clove garlic, ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
• Place the tomatoes in a large bowl. Add the basil, pour the dressing over the tomatoes, and gently toss until evenly coated.
  2 tbsps (5 g) chopped fresh basil
• Spoon the dressed tomatoes over the whipped ricotta-feta. If desired, finish with a drizzle of olive oil, red pepper flakes, flaky sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper.
  extra virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, flaky sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper
• Serve immediately with toasted sourdough, crostini, or grilled baguette slices for scooping.

Notes

• Use ripe heirloom tomatoes for the best flavor and texture.
• Let the ricotta and feta sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before blending for the smoothest consistency.
• Assemble the salad just before serving to keep the tomatoes fresh and the whipped ricotta-feta light.
• The whipped ricotta-feta can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Bring it close to room temperature before serving.

 

 

If you’re making this Heirloom Tomato Salad Over Whipped Ricotta Feta, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Nutrition

Serving: 265g | Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 780mg | Potassium: 505mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 950IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 260mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made this Heirloom Tomato Salad Over Whipped Ricotta Feta? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Heirloom Tomato Salad Over Whipped Ricotta Feta appeared first on Noble Pig.

Patatas Bravas with Homemade Bravas Sauce and Garlic Aioli

If you’ve been to a Spanish tapas bar, you’ve probably ordered patatas bravas, the dish made with fried potatoes and a smoky, spicy tomato sauce. My favorites come with garlic aioli too, so I wanted to keep the focus on those three components because crisp potatoes are a must for me, the sauce deserves extra attention, and a creamy garlic finish adds to it all.

I’ve spent a lot of time eating patatas bravas in Spain and at tapas bars here in the States. As a kid, I wanted my dad to order the “tatas,” which was perfectly normal to say in Barcelona and much more embarrassing once I realized what that sounded like back home. Regardless, somewhere along the way these crispy fried potatoes became my unofficial test for how the rest of the meal at a tapas bar might go.

I do the same thing with a mojito when I sit down at a bar I’ve never been to. I know, completely different category, but stay with me. There’s a big difference between someone muddling fresh mint and lime, balancing it with sugar or simple syrup, and finishing it with sparkling water versus pouring in lemon-lime soda and calling it good. That first sip tells me how much care will be taken in making the cocktails and whether wine or beer will be the better choice.

And, patatas bravas are the same for me. When the server drops the menus, asks about drinks, and everyone is still deciding what to order, I immediately order a round of patatas bravas.

Because once the plate is served, it tells me a lot about what is likely coming next. It’s my own temperature check. I know if the kitchen took the time to turn the humble potato into something memorable by getting the potatoes crisp, making the sauce, and adding the details that make me keep going back for another bite, I know I’m in good hands.

If the potatoes feel like more of an afterthought, I’m probably not going to get quite as ambitious with the rest of the menu. For me, that means ordering every single thing.

That’s why I make them this way at home. I give the potatoes special attention before anything goes on top. I take time with the sauce instead of throwing it together, and while garlic aioli isn’t traditional, I’m seeing it served with patatas bravas a lot more these days, and I like it.

For me, patatas bravas are about what happens when simple things are done well.

What Makes This Recipe Different

• I boil the potatoes with vinegar before frying so the inside cooks through without the edges falling apart. The vinegar helps the potatoes hold together, so they can handle the next step.
• Letting the potatoes steam-dry before they ever touch the oil is key. The dry surface is what helps them crisp instead of holding on to extra moisture during frying.
• I fry them once instead of double-frying because the boiling and drying steps have already done most of the work. By the time the potatoes are in the oil, I’m looking for a crisp outside and tender center.
• The bravas sauce starts with onion, garlic, tomato paste, and smoked paprika instead of just mixing together a quick tomato sauce. Cooking those ingredients first gives the sauce more flavor before adding the broth and vinegar.
• I keep the garlic aioli separate instead of mixing everything together. The smoky bravas sauce and creamy garlic sauce both add something different, and I want some of each in every bite I’m taking.

Ingredients

• Russet potatoes – Their higher starch content gives you fluffy centers and crisp edges after frying.
• Kosher salt – Seasons the potatoes while they boil, with another pinch added right after frying.
• White distilled vinegar – Added to the boiling water to help the potatoes stay together before frying. You won’t taste the vinegar in the finished dish.
• Canola oil – A neutral oil that’s good for frying because it can handle the higher temperature needed to crisp the potatoes.
• Olive oil – Used to cook the onion, garlic, tomato paste, and spices at the start of the bravas sauce.
• Yellow onion – Adds natural sweetness to the base of the sauce as it cooks.
• Garlic – Adds savory flavor that pairs well with the smoked paprika.
• Tomato paste – Cooking it briefly before adding the liquids gives the sauce more richness than tomato sauce alone.
• Smoked paprika – This is what gives bravas sauce its signature smoky flavor and color.
• Cayenne pepper – Adds the heat. Adjust the amount depending on how spicy you want the sauce.
• Black pepper – Adds a little extra seasoning without taking over the sauce.
• Tomato sauce – Forms the base of the bravas sauce and blends with the spices, broth, and vinegar.
• Red wine vinegar – Adds acidity that balances the richness of the fried potatoes and the smoky sauce.
• Vegetable broth or chicken broth – Loosens the sauce and adds more flavor while it simmers.
• Garlic aioli – A creamy finishing sauce that complements the smoky bravas sauce. Keeping it separate lets you enjoy both sauces instead of blending them into one.
• Fresh parsley – Adds color and freshness right before serving.

How to Make Patatas Bravas

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (boil the potatoes)
  Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the kosher salt and white vinegar. Cook the potatoes until the edges start to soften but the centers still have some resistance. The goal is to get them ready for frying, not cook them until they fall apart.
• Step Two (steam-dry the potatoes)
  Drain the potatoes and spread them out on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Let them sit until the outside looks dry instead of damp. It’s a small step, but it makes a big difference because extra moisture is not going to help you when the potatoes go into the hot oil.
• Step Three (make the bravas sauce)
  While the potatoes dry, cook the onion until softened, then add the garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Give the tomato paste and spices some time in the pan before adding the tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, and broth. Let the sauce simmer until the flavors come together, then blend it smooth or leave it a little chunky.
• Step Four (fry the potatoes)
  Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) and fry the potatoes in batches until the outside is crisp and the centers are tender. Don’t crowd the pot. A few extra minutes frying in batches is better than dropping the oil temperature and dealing with potatoes that don’t want to brown.
• Step Five (finish and serve)
  Pile the potatoes onto a serving platter, drizzle the warm bravas sauce over the top, then add the garlic aioli and fresh parsley. Serve them right away while the potatoes are still crisp.

Recipe Tips

• Don’t overcook the potatoes during the first boil. They should be tender around the edges but still hold together because they have another round of cooking coming in the oil.
• Let the potatoes steam-dry completely before frying. If they still look damp, give them a few more minutes.
• Keep the oil as close to 350°F (175°C) as possible. If the oil drops too much, the potatoes take longer to brown and won’t get the same crisp exterior.
• Fry the potatoes in batches instead of crowding the pot. Giving them enough room helps them brown evenly.
• Season the potatoes right after frying while they are still hot so the salt sticks.
• Let the bravas sauce simmer for a few minutes before blending. Giving the onion, garlic, tomato paste, and smoked paprika time together makes a better sauce.
• Wait to add the bravas sauce and garlic aioli until serving. Patatas bravas are at their best when the potatoes are still crisp underneath.

Storage

• Store the potatoes, bravas sauce, and garlic aioli separately whenever possible. Once the sauces are added, the potatoes will soften as they sit.
• Keep the potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat them in an oven or air fryer until warmed through and crisp again.
• Store the bravas sauce separately in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Warm it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.
• Freeze only the bravas sauce for longer storage. The fried potatoes will lose their texture after freezing.

FAQs

• Can I make the bravas sauce ahead of time?
  Yes. The sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. The flavor gets even better after it has time to sit.
• Can I bake or air fry the potatoes instead?
  Yes, but the texture will be different. Frying gives patatas bravas the crisp outside and tender center they are known for.
• Do I have to blend the bravas sauce?
  No. Blend it if you like a smoother sauce, or leave it a little chunky. Both ways are fine.
• Why boil the potatoes before frying?
  Boiling starts cooking the potatoes, while the vinegar helps them stay together during frying. That lets the outside crisp before the centers become overcooked.
• Can I make patatas bravas less spicy?
  Yes. Reduce the cayenne pepper or leave it out completely for a milder sauce.
• Can I use Yukon Gold potatoes instead?
  Yes, but russet potatoes give you the fluffiest centers and crispiest edges. Yukon Gold potatoes will have creamier centers and won’t crisp quite the same way.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• The simplest things have the least room to hide.
• Some things only look basic from a distance.
• A potato will tell on you faster than almost anything else.
• The smallest plate on the table can change the whole meal.
• A good sauce cannot fix something nobody cared about underneath.
• Skipped details are often the ones someone else remembers.
• There is a huge difference between adding more and paying attention.
• Extra effort has a way of making itself known later.
• The smallest choices tell the best stories.
• Things can look easy because someone cared enough to make them look that way.
• Ordinary things know when they’re being treated like an afterthought.
• What happens when nobody expects much is a better story.
• Important things are often revealed in the smallest things.
• The details are where the truth leaks out.
• I’ve learned a lot from what people do when they think it doesn’t count and with what someone does with something they could have ignored.
• Consistency is more apparent when nobody asked for a presentation.
• There’ s a difference between impressing someone and caring about what you make.
• Everyone makes an appearance when the stakes are high. I’m more interested in what you do when nobody made it a big deal.
• I’m sending a mojito made with lemon-lime soda straight to jail. It’s my boundary.
• Some things were never missing anything. They were just waiting for someone to notice.

More Recipes That Start with Potatoes

• German Potato Salad – Tangy warm bacon dressing.
• Crispy Smashed Potato Salad – Crispy edges, creamy herb dressing.
• Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus with Lemon and Garlic – Roasted together at the right pace.
• Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes – Crispy edges with bold vinegar.
• Breakfast Potatoes (Home Fries) – Crispy outside, soft inside.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Print

Patatas Bravas

These patatas bravas are made with russet potatoes that are boiled with vinegar, steam-dried, and fried until crisp, then finished with a cooked bravas sauce and garlic aioli. The sauce starts with onion, garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika, broth, and vinegar, so it tastes like a homemade sauce instead of a shortcut.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Spanish

Keyword bravas sauce, fried potatoes, lemon garlic aioli sauce, patatas bravas, patatas bravas recipe, Spanish potatoes, Spanish tapas

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6

Calories 360kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• large pot For boiling the potatoes.
• cooling rack Helps potatoes steam-dry before frying.
• Sheet Pan Holds the wire rack while the potatoes dry.
• large skillet For cooking the bravas sauce.
• Immersion blender (optional) For a smoother bravas sauce.
• Dutch Oven or heavy-bottomed pot. For frying the potatoes.
• spider strainer or slotted spoon. For removing the potatoes from the oil.

Ingredients

Potatoes:

• 1 tbsp (18 g) kosher salt
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) white distilled vinegar
• 2 lbs (907 g) russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cube
• canola oil for frying

Bravas Sauce:

• 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil
• ½ cup (80 g) finely chopped yellow onion
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste
• 1 tbsp (7 g) smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt
• ¼ tsp (0.6 g) black pepper
• 1 cup (240 g) tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar
• 1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth or low-sodium chicken broth

To Finish:

• garlic aioli or homemade
• chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to a steady boil, then stir in the kosher salt and white vinegar. Add the russet potatoes and cook until the edges are just tender while the centers still offer slight resistance, about 7 to 9 minutes after the water returns to a simmer. The vinegar helps the potatoes hold their shape during frying without affecting the flavor.
  1 tbsp (18 g) kosher salt, 2 tbsps (30 ml) white distilled vinegar, 2 lbs (907 g) russet potatoes
• Drain the potatoes and spread them in a single layer on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Let them steam-dry until the surface looks dry and matte. Removing the surface moisture helps the potatoes crisp more efficiently during frying.
• While the potatoes dry, warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, then stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently, until it darkens slightly. Stir in the smoked paprika, cayenne, kosher salt, and black pepper, cooking for another 30 seconds to bloom the spices without letting them scorch.
  2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil, ½ cup (80 g) finely chopped yellow onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste, 1 tbsp (7 g) smoked paprika, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper, ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt, ¼ tsp (0.6 g) black pepper
• Pour in the tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, and broth. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors come together. Blend the sauce with an immersion blender if you prefer a smooth consistency, or leave it slightly chunky for a more rustic presentation. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt, black pepper, cayenne, or vinegar if needed.
  1 cup (240 g) tomato sauce, 1 tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar, 1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth
• Heat the canola oil to 350°F (175°C) in a heavy pot or Dutch oven. Fry the potatoes in batches for 7 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned and crisp on the outside with tender centers. Avoid overcrowding the pot, as this lowers the oil temperature and prevents proper browning.
  canola oil
• Transfer the fried potatoes to paper towels or a wire rack to drain briefly, then season with a pinch of kosher salt while they are still hot.
• Arrange the potatoes on a serving platter and spoon the warm bravas sauce over the top. Drizzle generously with garlic aioli, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, and serve immediately while the potatoes are at their crispiest.
  garlic aioli, chopped fresh parsley

Notes

• Vegetable broth keeps this recipe vegetarian, while chicken broth gives the bravas sauce a slightly richer taste.
• Sherry vinegar can be used instead of red wine vinegar if you want a softer acidity in the sauce.
• For a milder bravas sauce, reduce or omit the cayenne, then serve hot sauce on the side.
• The sauce can be left slightly chunky, but blending gives it a smoother texture that coats the potatoes more evenly.
• If you prefer to make a quick garlic aioli, mix mayonnaise with grated garlic and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
• Russet potatoes work best because their starch helps create crisp edges and tender centers. Waxy potatoes, such as red potatoes, do not fry the same way.

 

 

If you’re making these Patatas Bravas, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 240g | Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 820mg | Potassium: 930mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 890IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made these Patatas Bravas? I’d love to hear how they turned out — leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Patatas Bravas appeared first on Noble Pig.

Parmesan Bread Bites Dipped in Garlic Butter Before Baking

My first versions of these Parmesan bread bites were shaped into individual dough balls, but I kept going back to the pizza cutter. Cutting the dough into small squares was much faster, and once baked, they puffed into soft, bite-sized bread bites that were perfect for dipping in marinara sauce.

I look outside and there are more cars in the driveway. I never knew if anyone was coming over or not, but when your house is “the house,” that’s just how it was. There might be five people here or twenty. It never really made a difference. The teenagers would end up downstairs, and nobody ever asked if a meal was going to be made. It was more of an unspoken agreement that if you were here, I was going to feed you.

I always had flour and yeast around, especially instant yeast since it rises quickly enough that I could make these while dinner was going. I used to portion out and roll the dough into little balls, but after I did that enough times, I started thinking there had to be a better way. Trying to divide one batch of dough into sixty-four reasonably equal pieces is as time-consuming as it sounds.

At some point, I rolled the dough into a rough square and cut it into little pieces with a pizza cutter instead. Then I started dipping the dough in garlic butter before baking rather than brushing it on afterward. The whole process went much faster this way. The dough puffed up in the oven anyway, and nobody cared that the pieces weren’t perfectly round bread balls.

These are still one of my favorite things to make because they feel like the kind of food that came out of real life. They’re made from ingredients I always have on hand, and a sheet pan full of warm Parmesan bread bites still has a way of making it feel like there’s enough food for whoever happens to be here.

What Makes This Recipe Different

• I used to roll these into individual dough balls, but it wasn’t efficient. Now I roll the dough into the most imperfect square and cut it into little pieces with a pizza cutter. It takes only a few minutes, and once baked, they puff into soft, bite-sized bread bites anyway.
• I dip the dough in garlic butter before baking instead of brushing it on afterward. Every side gets coated, and the butter helps the Parmesan brown as the bread bakes.
• Parmesan cheese is used twice in this recipe. Some is mixed directly into the dough and then I sprinkle more on top before baking. I like that the cheesy flavor isn’t just sitting on the surface.
• I spread the pieces out on sheet pans instead of packing them together in a skillet or baking dish. More of the dough is exposed to the heat, which helps the bread bites brown on more sides.
• The first time I cut the dough into little squares, I was convinced they looked too small. I was wrong. Then they went into the oven and puffed right up. They ended up being the right size for dipping in marinara sauce.

Ingredients

• Warm Water – Warm, not hot. Hot water can kill the yeast, and then everybody sits around waiting for bread that isn’t coming.
• Granulated Sugar – Gives the yeast something to munch on and helps the bread bites brown in the oven.
• Olive Oil – Adds moisture and helps keep the dough soft.
• Instant Yeast – I almost always have instant yeast in the pantry. It’s great for last minute decisions.
• All-Purpose Flour – Keeps the bread bites soft and tender.
• Bread Flour – I like using a combination of bread flour and all-purpose flour. The bread flour adds chew and keeps them from being too dense.
• Parmesan Cheese – Some goes right into the dough and more gets sprinkled over the top before baking.
• Kosher Salt – Bread without salt is memorable for all the wrong reasons.
• Garlic Powder – Adds garlic flavor directly to the dough so every bite tastes a little garlicky before we even get to the butter.
• Salted Butter – Coats each dough square before baking and helps them brown in the oven.
• Garlic Salt – Adds an extra layer of garlic flavor.
• Fresh Parsley – Garnish for color and freshness.
• Marinara Sauce – Optional for dipping, but I wouldn’t skip it.

How to Make Parmesan Bread Bites

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (make the dough)
  Add the warm water, sugar, olive oil, and instant yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer and give it a quick stir. Add the all-purpose flour, bread flour, Parmesan cheese, salt, and garlic powder. Using the dough hook, knead on low speed for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the dough gathers around the hook and feels smooth and slightly tacky. If it’s sticking to your fingers, add additional flour one tablespoon at a time. A little tackiness is fine.
• Step Two (let the dough rise)
  Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes. Instant yeast rises quickly, which is one of the reasons I make these so often.
• Step Three (prepare the butter and baking sheets)
  While the dough rises, stir together the melted butter and garlic salt in a shallow bowl. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
• Step Four (cut the dough into squares)
  Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently press out any large air bubbles. Roll it into roughly a 10-inch (25 cm) square, then cut it into 64 small pieces with a pizza cutter or sharp knife. Don’t get hung up on making them perfect. Once they puff in the oven, nobody can tell which ones started out slightly crooked.
• Step Five (dip and bake)
  Dip each piece of dough into the garlic butter mixture, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, then place it on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the bread bites are puffed and golden brown. The little squares may look small going into the oven, but they puff up quickly as they bake.
• Step Six (serve)
  Sprinkle with fresh parsley, if you’d like, and serve warm. Marinara sauce is optional, but it’s my favorite way to serve them.

Recipe Tips

• The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky, not dry. Add extra flour only if it’s truly sticky. Too much flour can make the bread bites denser than they need to be.
• Using a pizza cutter makes dividing the dough simple. I’ve rolled these into little balls before, and cutting them into squares is much faster.
• Don’t stress over making perfectly equal pieces. Once they puff in the oven, the wonky ones are impossible to spot.
• Let the excess butter drip back into the bowl before placing the dough on the baking sheet. Too much butter will collect around the bread bites as they bake.
• Freshly grated Parmesan melts and browns much better than the shelf-stable kind in the green can.
• Some of the Parmesan will melt onto the parchment paper and create crispy cheese bits around the edges. Those are usually the first Parm bites to disappear.
• The dough squares may look tiny before baking, but they puff much more than you’d think once they get into the oven.

Storage

• Store any leftover Parmesan bread bites in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• For longer storage, freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
• To reheat, place them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until warmed through. They regain their texture much better in the oven than they do in the microwave.
• If you’re serving them with marinara sauce, store the sauce separately and dip as you go.

FAQs

• Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast?
  Yes. Stir the active dry yeast into the warm water and sugar and let it sit for about 5 minutes, or until foamy, before adding the remaining ingredients. Your rise time will be longer.
• Can I use only all-purpose flour?
  Yes. They’ll still be delicious. I prefer the combination of bread flour and all-purpose flour because it gives the bread bites chew while keeping them soft.
• Can I shape the dough into balls instead of squares?
  Yep. I did that for years. I eventually stopped because cutting the dough into squares is much faster, and once baked, the pieces puff enough that I don’t miss the extra shaping step.
• Do I really have to dip every piece in butter?
  Yes, it’s worth it. Dipping the dough coats all sides and gives you more buttery, golden spots than brushing it on afterward.
• Can I make the dough ahead of time?
  Yes. Prepare the dough, cover it, and refrigerate it overnight. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 to 45 minutes before rolling, cutting, and baking.
• Do I need marinara sauce?
  No, but I like having something to dip them into. Marinara and warm Parmesan bread have always been buddies for as long as I can remember.

From My Kitchen Notes

• There are people who can arrive unexpectedly and still feel entirely expected.
• Sometimes hospitality is just an agreement that food will appear eventually.
• I’ve spent enough of my life feeding people to know that nobody notices how long something took to make.
• How much of what we keep around the house reveals the life we’re hoping to have?
• I think some of the best recipes are solutions to recurring situations.
• Sometimes the best improvements come from getting tired of doing something the hard way.
• Not enough credit is given to methods that save energy for more important things.
• I’ve come to appreciate things that don’t require individual handling.
• There are things in life where trying to make everything equal becomes an impossible amount of work.
• Most people are perfectly happy with squares while I’m busy trying to make circles.
• I used to assume uniformity mattered right until I noticed nobody notices the difference.
• I think I overestimate how much perfection contributes to enjoyment. Because it really doesn’t.
• I prefer things that can withstand a little irregularity.
• Sometimes, some things become what they’re meant to be without being handled very much.
• There are things that ask for endless maintenance and others that work once everyone is on the same page.
• There are recipes and relationships that require constant shaping and others that seem to rise on their own.
• I no longer have interest in relationships that require me to keep pinching off pieces of myself and making them all look the same.
• I think comfort has very little to do with luxury and a lot to do with knowing there’s a place for you at the table.
• Some things stop feeling like effort once they’ve become part of who we are.

More Things to Dunk in Sauce

• Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites – Chewy, buttery, and salted.
• Pepperoni Pizza Puffs – Served with warm pizza sauce.
• Chicago Hot Dog Pigs in a Blanket – With a mustard relish dip.
• Crab Rangoon – With sweet and spicy dipping sauce.
• Crispy Fried Artichoke Hearts – Served with lemon garlic aioli.
• Blistered Shishito Peppers – With garlic chive aioli.
• Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites – Sweet chili lime dip.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Print

Parmesan Bread Bites

Soft, fluffy Parmesan bread bites made with a blend of bread flour and all-purpose flour, dipped in garlic butter before baking, and finished with extra Parmesan cheese. Perfect for serving with marinara sauce as an appetizer, party snack, or side dish.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword bread bites with marinara, cheesy bread bites, garlic Parmesan bread bites, homemade bread bites, Parmesan bread bites

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Rise Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 64 bread bites

Calories 34kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• Stand Mixer with dough hook. Mixes and kneads the dough with minimal effort.
• mixing bowls (large). Used for rising the dough.
• Pizza Cutter Quickly cuts the dough into 64 evenly sized squares.
• 2 baking sheet Gives the bread bites enough room to bake evenly.
• parchment paper prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier.
• rolling pin To roll out the dough.

Ingredients

Bread Dough:

• 1 cup (240 ml) warm water
• 3 tbsps (38 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
• 2¼ tsps (7 g / 1 packet) RapidRise yeast
• 1¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (120 g) bread flour
• ⅔ cup (60 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt
• ½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic powder

Garlic Butter Topping:

• 8 tbsps (113 g) butter melted
• 2 tsps (6 g) garlic salt
• ½ cup (45 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp (4 g) chopped fresh parsley (optional)
• marinara sauce for serving, optional

Instructions

• Mix the warm water, sugar, olive oil, and instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the all-purpose flour, bread flour, Parmesan cheese, salt, and garlic powder. Using the dough hook, knead on low speed for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the dough comes together around the hook and feels smooth and slightly tacky. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour one tablespoon at a time, using only what is necessary.
  1 cup (240 ml) warm water, 3 tbsps (38 g) granulated sugar, 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, 2¼ tsps (7 g / 1 packet) RapidRise yeast, 1¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (120 g) bread flour, ⅔ cup (60 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt, ½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic powder
• Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.
• While the dough rises, stir together the melted butter and garlic salt in a shallow bowl. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  8 tbsps (113 g) butter, 2 tsps (6 g) garlic salt
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently press out any large air bubbles. Roll into a 10-inch (25 cm) square, then use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough into 64 small squares.
• Dip each dough square into the garlic butter mixture, allowing any excess butter to drip off. Arrange the pieces on the prepared baking sheets, leaving a little space between each one. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
  ½ cup (45 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the Parmesan bread bites are puffed and golden brown. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve warm with marinara sauce for dipping.
  1 tbsp (4 g) chopped fresh parsley , marinara sauce

Notes

• Instant yeast can be replaced with active dry yeast. If using active dry yeast, combine it with the warm water and sugar and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy before adding the remaining ingredients.
• The dough should feel slightly tacky but not sticky. Adding too much flour can make the finished bread bites dry.
• A pizza cutter makes quick work of portioning the dough and is much faster than shaping individual dough balls.
• Freshly grated Parmesan melts and browns better than pre-grated Parmesan from a shaker container.
• Store cooled bread bites in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Freeze completely cooled bread bites in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
• Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 to 7 minutes until warmed through.

 

 

If you’re making these Parmesan Bread Bites, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card.

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 13g | Calories: 34kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 11mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 52IU | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Have you made these Parmesan Bread Bites? I’d love to hear how they turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Parmesan Bread Bites appeared first on Noble Pig.

The Pyrex Bowl Method

I made this no-knead peasant bread with a simple high-hydration dough that rises in a Pyrex bowl and bakes in the same vessel. The bowl supports the dough as it proofs, which helps create a tall, round loaf with a golden crust and soft interior. You will not need a Dutch oven, stand mixer, or specialty bread-baking equipment for this recipe.

I make a lot of bread, which means I’ve accumulated a lot of bread equipment over the years. Some of it I use regularly and some of it spends most of its life shoved onto shelves waiting for me to remember I own it. I also know most bread recipes assume everybody has a Dutch oven, a banneton, a baking stone, or whatever the latest must-have bread tool happens to be. A lot of my own recipes do. I’m winking at you Dutch oven bread.

While I had this dough rising in a Pyrex bowl on the counter, I thought why couldn’t I just bake it in this bowl? Maybe it’s normally used for cookie dough, salad or something else. Either way, there’s a decent chance you already own it. Here’s the caveat, you cannot use any bowl for this method. This is not the time to pull out the glass bowl from the dollar store. I used a 2.5-quart (2.4 L) Pyrex bowl, the middle-sized one from that stack of three bowls we have all bought or been gifted at some point.

The bowl does more than hold the dough while it rises. It supports this very wet dough as it rises, gives the loaf its tall rounded shape, and goes straight into the oven for baking. The rise and the bake happen in the same bowl, which means less handling and less equipment. The first time I pulled this loaf out of the oven, I was surprised by how well it worked. The crust was golden, and the inside stayed soft. The shape makes it look like this was your idea all along.

What Makes This Recipe Different

• As I mentioned before, most no-knead bread recipes rely on a Dutch oven or another heavy baking vessel to help support the dough as it bakes. I wanted to see if I could get a similar tall, round loaf using something many of us already have in the kitchen, a Pyrex bowl. Because I’m here working for you. Ha.
• The Pyrex bowl is part of the reason this method works. This is a very high-hydration dough, which means it contains more water than most traditional bread recipes. That extra hydration is what helps create the airy crumb without kneading, but it also makes the dough softer and more likely to spread as it rises. The Pyrex bowl supports the dough during the second rise and helps it rise upward rather than outward.
• The dough proofs and bakes in the same bowl, which means less handling and fewer pieces of equipment. You are still going to use another bowl for the initial mixing of the ingredients. But you are going to end up with a tall peasant-style loaf that is perfect for sandwiches and toast. This is my favorite bread for my daily PB & J.
• The high-hydration dough and the oven-safe Pyrex bowl are what give this bread its shape, texture, and character.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour – Gives the loaf enough support to rise tall in the bowl while still staying soft enough for sandwiches and toast.
• Fine sea salt – Adds flavor and helps keep the dough from rising too quickly.
• Granulated sugar – Feeds the yeast and helps the crust develop its golden color during baking.
• Instant yeast – Gives the dough a reliable rise and can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients without proofing first. Active dry yeast can also be used, but the rise will take a little longer.
• Warm water – This recipe uses a generous amount of water, creating a very wet dough that rises easily and develops naturally during the proofing process instead of relying on kneading.
• Nonstick cooking spray – Keeps the loaf from sticking to the bowl and helps it release cleanly after baking.

How to Make No-Knead Peasant Bread in a Pyrex Bowl

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (mix the dough)
  Add the flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast to a large bowl and stir everything together. Pour in the warm water and mix until there aren’t any dry patches left. The dough is going to look alarmingly wet and sticky compared to most bread doughs. Resist the urge to add more flour. This loaf depends on that extra moisture.
• Step Two (let the dough rise)
  Cover the bowl and place it somewhere warm until the dough doubles in size, about 1½ to 2 hours. I usually use the oven with the light turned on. By the time it’s ready, the dough should look puffy, airy, and full of life.
• Step Three (shape the loaf)
  Lightly flour your work surface and sprinkle a little flour over the top of the dough. Gently pull the edges underneath to form a rough ball, then continue tucking until you have a round loaf. This isn’t the time to wrestle with it. A light touch goes a long way here.
• Step Four (proof in the Pyrex bowl)
  Generously coat a 2.5-quart oven-safe Pyrex bowl with nonstick spray. Place the dough seam-side down in the bowl, cover loosely, and let it rise until it crowns slightly above the rim, about 45 to 60 minutes. This is where the bowl starts doing some of the work, helping the dough rise upward and hold that tall rounded shape.
• Step Five (bake the bread)
  Bake at 350°F until the loaf is deeply golden and the center reaches 190°F to 195°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 40 to 50 minutes. If your oven runs hot, lower the temperature by 25 degrees. Glass and metal don’t behave exactly the same in the oven, and a small adjustment can keep the outside from getting ahead of the inside.
• Step Six (cool before slicing)
  Remove the bread from the bowl and place it on a wire rack. I know it’s tempting to cut into it immediately, but give it at least 30 minutes. Fresh bread has terrible timing and always smells ready before it really is.

Recipe Tips

• This dough is much wetter than most bread doughs. It will look sticky, loose, and messy. Resist the urge to add extra flour. The higher water content is part of what gives this loaf its airy texture and helps it rise without kneading.
• Pay attention to the dough more than the clock. A warm kitchen may have the dough ready sooner, while a cooler kitchen may take longer. Look for dough that has doubled in size and looks puffy before moving on.
• Use a 2.5-quart Pyrex bowl made from tempered glass and inspect it before baking. Skip any bowl with chips, cracks, or damage. This is not the recipe for experimenting with mystery glass.
• Start with room-temperature glass and avoid sudden temperature changes. Don’t move the bowl from the refrigerator directly into a hot oven, and don’t place a hot bowl onto a cold, wet, or metal surface when it comes out of the oven.
• Every oven has its own personality. If yours tends to run hot, lower the temperature by 25 degrees. Glass and metal don’t bake exactly the same way, and a slightly lower temperature can help the loaf bake more evenly.
• If the top of the loaf is getting darker than you’d like before the center is fully baked, loosely tent it with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
• An instant-read thermometer removes the guesswork. Because this loaf rises tall in the bowl, the center can take longer to bake than the crust suggests. Look for an internal temperature of 190°F to 195°F before removing it from the oven.

Storage

• Store the cooled loaf tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days. The crust will soften slightly as it’s stored, but the bread stays fresher longer this way.
• The crust is at its best the day it’s baked. By the second day it softens a bit, which makes this bread especially good for toast, grilled sandwiches, and dunking into soup.
• If you prefer a crisper crust, store the loaf in a paper bag and plan to enjoy it the same day.
• For longer storage, slice the loaf and freeze the slices in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Individual slices can go straight from the freezer into the toaster.

FAQs

• Why is my dough so sticky?
  It’s supposed to be. This is a high-hydration dough, which means it has more water than most traditional bread recipes. The dough will look loose and sticky from the beginning. It’s nothing to panic over.
• Can I bake bread in a Pyrex bowl?
  Yes, as long as you’re using tempered glass that is in good condition and does not have any chips or cracks. Avoid sudden temperature changes and don’t use damaged glass.
• Can I use a different glass bowl?
  Only if it is specifically labeled tempered glass. I used a Pyrex bowl for this recipe, so that’s what I recommend.
• Why didn’t my bread rise?
  Yeast, temperature, and time are usually the biggest factors. Make sure your yeast is fresh and give the dough enough time to double in size before moving on.
• Can I use bread flour?
  Bread flour will give the loaf a slightly chewier texture, but the recipe works well with either all-purpose flour or bread flour.
• Why is the center gummy?
  The bread was likely sliced too soon or needed a little more time in the oven. Let the loaf cool for at least 30 minutes and check for an internal temperature of 190°F to 195°F before removing it from the oven.
• Can I use a metal bowl instead?
  I haven’t tested this recipe in a metal mixing bowl. The Pyrex bowl helps support the dough and create the loaf’s tall shape, so I can’t guarantee the same results.

From My Kitchen Notes

Observations from the margins.

• The things that get used for everything usually end up being the most interesting.
• There are tools that spend years proving themselves before anyone gives them much credit.
• The things I use most often are rarely the most specialized. That’s true outside the kitchen too.
• The objects that earn permanent counter space rarely start out as the most exciting.
• There’s usually a reason certain things rarely leave the cabinet.
• There’s a noticeable difference between being overlooked and being unnecessary. The two get confused all the time. The bowl seems to be doing just fine with that.
• I have definitely underestimated certain things because they looked too ordinary.
• Some things become obvious so gradually that you can’t pinpoint the moment you finally saw them.
• There are possessions we all have that sit in the same place for years before revealing a new purpose. And a lot of potential looks ordinary until the day it doesn’t.
• A surprising number of useful things begin their lives as something else.
• Sometimes the best ideas start with lowering the qualifications. Because the bowl was never trying to become a bread pan.
• Lots of things work once you stop insisting they become something else first.
• Versatility is an underrated form of competence.
• And some items become more valuable the more jobs they’re asked to do.
• But there are things that shape outcomes while remaining mostly invisible.
• I keep discovering that support and restriction are occasionally mistaken for each other.
• The bowl doesn’t make the bread. It changes what the bread can become.
• Expansion and direction are two completely different skills.
• Dough rises differently once it has somewhere to go.
• I’ve spent enough time with bread to know that visible activity isn’t the only kind that counts. That’s how fermentation works.
• The most dramatic part of the process happens before the loaf ever sees the oven. That’s true with self-improvement too.
• There are days when progress looks a lot like waiting.

More Bread Recipes for Bread People

• Roasted Garlic Rosemary Artisan Bread – crusty loaf with roasted garlic throughout.
• Honey Oatmeal Bread – soft sandwich bread with honey.
• Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread – soft sandwich loaf with honey.
• Homemade Slider Buns – soft buns for burgers and sandwiches.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Print

No-Knead Peasant Bread Baked in a Pyrex Bowl

This no-knead peasant bread uses a high-hydration dough that proofs and bakes in the same oven-safe Pyrex bowl. The result is a tall, golden loaf with a crisp crust, soft crumb, and no need for a Dutch oven or specialty bread-baking equipment.

Course Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword bread baked in glass bowl, homemade bread, no-knead bread recipe, no-knead peasant bread, peasant bread, Pyrex bowl bread

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Rise and Cooling: 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8 to 10 slices

Calories 245kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• mixing bowls (large) For mixing and fermenting the high-hydration dough.
• Pyrex 325 2.5 quart Glass Mixing Bowl Supports the dough during the second rise and creates the loaf's tall rounded shape.
• digital thermometer The most reliable way to determine when the center of the loaf is fully baked.
• wire rack Allows air to circulate around the loaf while it cools.
• kitchen scale For the most accurate measurement of ingredients.
• oven thermometer If you're unsure of how hot/cold your oven runs, this is the best way to figure it out.

Ingredients

• about 4 cups (17.6 oz / 500 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp (0.2 oz / 6 g) fine sea salt
• 2 tbsps (0.9 oz / 25 g) granulated sugar
• 1 packet (7 g / 2¼ tsps) RapidRise yeast
• 2 cups (480 ml) warm water (100-110°F / 38-43°C)
• cooking spray

Instructions

• Add the flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast to a large bowl and stir to combine. Pour in the warm water (38-43°C) and mix until no dry flour remains. The dough will be very loose and sticky, which is exactly what you want for this high-hydration bread.
  about 4 cups (17.6 oz / 500 g) all-purpose flour, 1 tsp (0.2 oz / 6 g) fine sea salt, 2 tbsps (0.9 oz / 25 g) granulated sugar, 1 packet (7 g / 2¼ tsps) RapidRise yeast, 2 cups (480 ml) warm water
• Cover the bowl and place it in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size, about 1½ to 2 hours. A slightly warm oven with the light on works well. The dough should look puffy and airy before moving to the next step.
• Lightly flour your work surface and dust the top of the dough with a little flour. Gently fold the outer edges underneath to form a rough ball, then transfer the dough to the counter and tuck the edges underneath again until a smooth round shape forms. Avoid overworking the dough so it retains the air developed during the rise.
• Generously coat a 2.5-quart (2.4 L) oven-safe Pyrex bowl with nonstick spray or you can brush with olive oil. Place the dough seam-side down in the bowl, cover loosely, and let it rise until puffy and slightly above the rim, about 45 to 60 minutes. The bowl supports the dough as it rises and helps create the loaf's tall, rounded shape.
  cooking spray
• While the dough completes its second rise, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the bowl in the oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the loaf is deep golden brown and the center reaches 190-195°F (88-91°C) on an instant-read thermometer. If your oven tends to run hot, reduce the temperature by 25°F (15°C).
• Carefully remove the loaf from the bowl and transfer it to a wire rack. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. This resting time allows the crumb to finish setting and prevents a gummy interior.

Notes

• Do not use decorative glass bowls, serving bowls, vintage glassware of unknown origin, or any bowl with chips, cracks, or other damage.
• The Pyrex bowl should be at room temperature before use. Avoid sudden temperature changes, also known as thermal shock, which can cause glass to crack or shatter.
• Do not place a cold glass bowl into a hot oven.
• Do not place a hot glass bowl onto a cold, wet, stone, metal, or granite surface. Set it on a dry towel, wooden cutting board, or cooling rack instead.
• This dough is intentionally high-hydration and will look much wetter than traditional bread dough. Resist the urge to add additional flour. The extra moisture helps create a lighter crumb without kneading.
• For the most accurate results, weigh the flour and water with a kitchen scale.
• The loaf is fully baked when the center reaches 190-195°F (88-91°C). Because the loaf is tall and baked in glass, color alone is not always the best indicator of doneness.
• If your oven tends to bake hot, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F (15°C). Glass bakeware heats differently than metal and may brown the crust more quickly.

 

 

If you’re making this no-knead peasant bread, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 127g | Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 3mg

Have you made this No-Knead Peasant Bread Baked in a Pyrex Bowl? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post No-Knead Peasant Bread Baked in a Pyrex Bowl appeared first on Noble Pig.

Corn Succotash with Edamame and Bacon

I’ve taken a different approach to traditional corn succotash, which normally relies on lima beans. Instead, I use edamame along with sweet corn, crispy bacon, peppers, onions, and juicy tomatoes. Everything cooks together in bacon drippings, creating a side dish with plenty of texture and enough flavor to pair well with anything coming off the grill.

When I was little, one of my favorite cartoons was Tweety Bird and Sylvester the Cat. This is almost cliché and I’m dating myself here, but if you remember, Sylvester was always running around yelling, “Sufferin’ succotash!” and I remember at some point finally asking my parents what succotash was. Honestly, I thought it meant some kind of catastrophe, not vegetables.

My mom told me it was something made with corn. Well, I loved corn. What kid doesn’t. And eventually I talked about it enough that she finally made it and that’s the day I discovered lima beans.

Let’s just say, the corn was innocent, the lima beans were not.

Until that moment I had never had lima beans, and I remember looking down at my plate wondering what those pale green and almost gray blobs were. They looked weird. They had that strange color lima beans get once they’re cooked. I remember not wanting any part of it.

But because I was consistently held to having impeccable manners, me saying that the lima beans had ruined everything was not considered an acceptable response. I sort of said it anyway, which was always to my detriment.

Needless to say, my first experience with succotash did not go well.

Somewhere between then and decades later, I started thinking about succotash again and realized my problem had never been the corn or the bacon, it was always the lima beans.

Ultimately, I kicked them out.

Instead, I use edamame, which has a firmer texture and more bite than the mushy lima beans. Plus, unlike five-year-old me, most kids today already know what edamame is. They’ve shelled it at restaurant tables, eaten it as a snack, and it’s not some sort of unfamiliar vegetable. It’s a completely normal ingredient to them. In a way, this recipe is for them, maybe especially for them.

The outcome is everything I wanted corn succotash to be when I first heard Sylvester yelling about it all those years ago. Sweet corn, crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, and enough color that it doesn’t look like vegetable wallpaper sitting in a bowl. My recipe is where the corn gets to be the best part. And there is no mush in sight.

What Makes This Recipe Different

• The biggest difference is the edamame. Traditional succotash relies on lima beans, but I wanted something with a firmer texture and more bite. Edamame has a firmer texture, a milder flavor, and holds together alongside the corn and bacon without turning soft and mushy.
• I cooked everything in the bacon drippings, because obviously, which gives the veggies a smoky flavor before the bacon even goes back into the skillet. Between the bacon drippings and the butter, the corn and edamame pick up a lot more flavor than they would if they were simply warmed through.
• I also add the tomatoes at the very end. I want them to slightly warm and release some of their juiciness, and still look like tomatoes. If they cook too long, they start breaking down into the vegetables, and I like the contrast they bring to the skillet.
• The splash of apple cider vinegar goes in near the end for the same reason. Corn is sweet, bacon is rich and butter isn’t known for holding back. The vinegar keeps those flavors from becoming too rich and gives the skillet a little contrast.
• And while fresh summer corn is great when it’s in season, I purposefully made this with frozen corn and frozen edamame. They’re convenient, but more importantly they are available year-round. That means you can make a skillet of succotash in the middle of July or put it on the Thanksgiving table without changing a thing.

Ingredients

• Sweet Corn – The foundation of the entire dish. Sweet corn has the sweetness that balances the smoky bacon and tangy vinegar. You can use frozen or fresh.
• Edamame – Adds substance to the recipe, which sounds so dramatic, and turns it into something that feels a little more substantial than a simple vegetable side dish.
• Bacon – The giver, providing both crispy pieces throughout the finished dish and the flavorful drippings used to cook the vegetables.
• Butter – This helps coat the vegetables and brings a richness that works especially well with the corn. The butter does add a lot of flavor to this recipe, especially if you use a better tasting European butter, such as Kerrygold.
• Bell Pepper – Adds color, sweetness, and another layer of chew alongside the corn and edamame.
• Vidalia Onion – Softens into the skillet and adds sweetness that complements the corn without competing with it.
• Garlic – Adds another layer of flavor to the skillet.
• Grape Tomatoes – Adds freshness, color, and little bursts of juicy acidity throughout the dish. I add them at the end so they stay intact.
• Lawry’s Total Seasoning – I don’t use a lot of seasoning blends like this, but for whatever reason it made a difference in how this tasted. It gave the vegetables a well-seasoned flavor that I wasn’t getting with the combinations of spices I tried.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – A small splash at the end keeps the sweet corn, bacon, and butter from becoming too rich.
• Kosher Salt – Helps bring out the natural sweetness of the corn and vegetables. I recommend tasting the finished dish before adding any additional salt.
• Black Pepper – Adds a little warmth. Taste the finished dish before adding more.

How to Make Corn Succotash

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (cook the bacon)
  Add the diced bacon to a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat and cook until it’s as crispy as you like it. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, but leave the drippings in the skillet. We’re about to put them to work.
• Step Two (cook the peppers and onions)
  Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, just until you can smell it.
• Step Three (add the corn and edamame)
  Add the corn, edamame, butter, and Lawry’s Total Seasoning. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is hot and tender. This is where the corn starts soaking up all that bacon and butter.
• Step Four (finish the succotash)
  Stir in the apple cider vinegar and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 2 more minutes, long enough to warm them through. I like adding them at the end because I want little juicy tomatoes throughout the skillet, not tomato sauce.
• Step Five (add the bacon and serve)
  Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the bacon back in. Serve it warm or room temperature with grilled chicken, burgers, pork chops, steak, or whatever happens to be coming off the grill that night.

Recipe Tips

• Thaw the corn and edamame before cooking if you have time. You’ll get less moisture in the skillet and better flavor development on the vegetables.
• Let the bacon get crisp before removing it from the skillet. It will soften slightly once it’s stirred back into the vegetables.
• Give the peppers and onions a few minutes to soften before adding the remaining ingredients. They should be tender, not crunchy.
• Taste before serving. Bacon, seasoning blends, and even frozen vegetables can vary, so I always do one final taste for salt and pepper at the end.
• This recipe is easy to scale up for cookouts, potlucks, and backyard barbecues. Just use your biggest skillet.

Storage

• Store leftover corn succotash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• The flavors mingle a little more overnight, making leftovers just as good the next day.
• Leftovers can be enjoyed warm, cold, or somewhere in between.
• I don’t usually freeze this one. The veggies tend to lose some of their texture once thawed.

FAQs

• Can I use fresh corn instead of frozen?
  Yes. If sweet corn is in season, cut the kernels from about 6 to 8 ears of corn and use them in place of the frozen corn.
• Can I make corn succotash ahead of time?
  Yes. You can make it a day ahead and refrigerate it until needed. Reheat gently before serving or let it come closer to room temperature.
• Can I make this vegetarian?
  You can. Skip the bacon and sauté the vegetables in butter or olive oil instead. You may want to add a little smoked paprika for some of the smoky flavor the bacon normally provides.
• Can I use a different seasoning blend?
  Yes. Lawry’s Total Seasoning is my favorite for this one, but you can substitute your favorite all-purpose seasoning blend and adjust the salt to taste.
• Can I use lima beans instead of edamame?
  Yes. Traditional succotash is often made with lima beans, so you can substitute them if you prefer. I use edamame because I like the texture better.
• What goes well with corn succotash?
  Just about anything coming off the grill. It’s especially good alongside grilled chicken, steak, pork chops, burgers, sausages, or barbecue.
• Can I serve corn succotash at room temperature?
  Yes. In fact, it’s one of the reasons I like it for barbecues and summer gatherings. Traditionally it’s served warm, but I like it at room temperature.

From My Kitchen Notes

Observations from the margins.

• What the heck does succotash even mean anyway? Don’t tell me and I refuse to look it up. I like holding on to the fact that it’s something unpleasant, like my first experience with succotash was, or corn ruined by lima beans.
• Nothing about the word succotash suggests sweet corn, bacon, juicy tomatoes, or butter. Instead, it sounds like a skin condition, betrayal, detention, or something your doctor finds during a colonoscopy.
• Five-year-old me was sitting there thinking, “Why did you wreck perfectly good corn?”
• Succotash felt like, somebody took perfectly good corn and wrecked it. Because when you’re a kid, there isn’t a nuanced evaluation of legumes happening. There’s just, this is good or this is a crime.
• My experience with lima beans has never just been “I hated lima beans.” The real story is, I hated lima beans and was not allowed to express that fact in a manner consistent with my feelings.
• I grew up in a household of, you will sit there, you will try it, you will appreciate that somebody made it, and you will not make a face. Meanwhile, I was sitting there thinking this dinner is defective.
• People who know me now might assume I’ve always been direct, but I wasn’t. I spent a lot of years filtering myself through expectations, presentation, composure, and worrying about what other people might think. I don’t do that anymore.
• Now my tendency is to make observations without looking for permission. Not rudely or recklessly. Just honestly.
• I’ve learned not to mistake different for wrong.
• Some combinations work because everything is different, not because everything matches.
• The most interesting things in the skillet are usually bringing something completely different to the table.
• Some things belong together without needing to become the same thing. The best partnerships involve contrast.
• Some things don’t become less themselves when they’re part of something bigger.
• A surprising number of good things begin as separate ingredients with no obvious plan.
• The funny thing about belonging is that it usually becomes obvious long before anybody says it out loud.
• I gave succotash another chance. The lima beans did not receive the same courtesy.
• I never decided I was wrong about lima beans. I decided to rebuild succotash from the ground up and remove the problem.
• I secretly hope somewhere a member of the Lima Bean Council just felt a disturbance in the force.
• If succotash was invented today it would probably be called Bacon Corn Skillet and somebody would charge $18 for it.

More Side Dishes That Don’t Feel Like Punishment

• Crispy Smashed Potato Salad – Crispy edges and lemon dressing.
• Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta Salad – Rotisserie chicken and basil.
• Greek Mosaic Salad – Watermelon, feta, cucumber, olives.
• Avocado and Three Bean Salad – Simple ingredients, big flavor.
• Chilled Pineapple Cucumber Salad – Sweet, spicy, and refreshing.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Print

Corn Succotash

Corn Succotash with sweet corn, edamame, bacon, peppers, onions, and tomatoes cooked together in one skillet. This easy side dish pairs perfectly with grilled meats, cookouts, and summer dinners.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword barbecue side dish, corn succotash, corn succotash with bacon, corn succotash with edamame, skillet corn succotash, succotash recipe, summer side dish

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 to 6

Calories 280kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• large high-sided skillet Gives the vegetables enough room to cook evenly.
• Cutting board For prepping the vegetables and bacon.
• wooden spoon or spatula. For stirring the vegetables.

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon diced
• ½ cup (75 g) Vidalia onion
• 1 red or orange bell pepper seeded and diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 (12-oz / 340 g) frozen corn thawed, or 6-8 ears of corn
• 12 oz (340 g) frozen shelled edamame beans thawed
• 3 tbsps (42 g) butter
• 2 tsps (5 g) Lawry's Total Seasoning
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt or to taste
• 1 tsp (2 g) black pepper or to taste
• 1 pint (280 g) grape tomatoes halved

Instructions

• Add the bacon to a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat and cook until it reaches your desired level of crispness. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings in the skillet.
  6 slices bacon
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and bell pepper to the bacon drippings. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
  ½ cup (75 g) Vidalia onion, 1 red or orange bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic
• Add the corn, edamame, butter, and Lawry's Total Seasoning. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and heated through.
  2 (12-oz / 340 g) frozen corn, 12 oz (340 g) frozen shelled edamame beans, 3 tbsps (42 g) butter, 2 tsps (5 g) Lawry's Total Seasoning
• Stir in the apple cider vinegar and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes, just until warmed through and still holding their shape.
  2 tbsps (30 ml) apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt, 1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, 1 pint (280 g) grape tomatoes
• Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the bacon, and serve warm or room temp.
  6 slices bacon

Notes

 

• Edamame replaces the traditional lima beans found in many succotash recipes, giving the dish a firmer texture
• For the best texture, thaw the corn and edamame before cooking. Starting with frozen vegetables can add excess moisture to the skillet and increase the cooking time.
• The tomatoes are added at the end so they stay juicy and hold their shape rather than cooking down into the vegetables.
• This corn succotash pairs well with grilled chicken, pork chops, steak, burgers, barbecue, or smoked meats.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

 

 

If you’re making this Corn Succotash, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 275g | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 760mg | Potassium: 520mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1200IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made this Corn Succotash? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Corn Succotash appeared first on Noble Pig.

Roasted Garlic Rosemary Artisan Bread with Bakery-Style Texture

This roasted garlic rosemary artisan bread uses roasted garlic folded directly into the loaf instead of simply mixing it into the dough. This shaping method creates streaks of sweet garlic and rosemary throughout the crumb while the Dutch oven gives the bread a golden crust and chewy artisan texture.

If you want the plain bakery-style version without the roasted garlic filling, my Dutch oven bread has the same crackly crust and artisan-style texture.

I’ve been making versions of this bread for more than twenty years now, long enough that the original no-knead recipe I started with slowly disappeared under all the little changes I kept making every time I baked it, adjusting the texture, changing the rise, working on the crust, figuring out how to make the garlic distribute through the loaf more evenly instead of punching through one slice while the next tasted mostly like plain bread, until somewhere along the way it stopped feeling like a recipe I started with and began feeling like my bread.

I used to leave the roasted garlic cloves mostly whole and knead them directly into the dough because visually it felt more theatrical, but over time I realized the flavor tasted better once I mashed the roasted garlic with rosemary and folded it through the dough layers instead. You don’t necessarily see giant chunks of garlic when you slice into the loaf anymore, but every bite tastes like roasted garlic instead of only the occasional piece carrying the flavor.

I’ve taught a lot of friends how to make this bread over the years, and at some point it became the loaf people started specifically requesting from me. One of my friends even wanted an entire bread bar for their rehearsal dinner, so I spent two straight days making around fifty loaves of a version of this bread along with a ridiculous amount of compound butter, charcuterie boards, olives, jams, and anything else that felt good next to warm bread. At one point there was so much dough proofing in the garage refrigerator that the pressure ended up pushing the refrigerator door open overnight, which honestly, as somebody with a degree in fermentation science, felt less concerning than impressive.

I like breads that look a little imperfect once they come out of the Dutch oven. The crust cracks, the rosemary catches in the seams, and the roasted garlic is part of the loaf in a way that feels far more interesting than simply stirring garlic into dough and hoping for the best.

What Makes This Different

• Most garlic bread recipes mix the roasted garlic directly into the dough from the beginning, which spreads the flavor evenly through the entire loaf. I’ve found this shaping method creates ribbons and pockets of roasted garlic throughout the loaf so every slice tastes layered instead of spreading evenly through every bite.
• Roasting the garlic first is important because raw garlic becomes overpowering once baked into bread. Roasted garlic becomes soft, sweet, and spreadable. It melts into the folds with the rosemary instead of working against the dough.
• Folding the garlic into layers keeps it from becoming one dense line through the middle of the loaf while also helping the bread stay lighter and airier with irregular pockets throughout the interior.
• The Dutch oven is what gives the loaf that crackly artisan crust. Trapping steam around the dough during the first half of baking keeps the outside flexible long enough for the loaf to expand fully before the crust sets. That’s what creates the crisp exterior and chewy artisan-style texture.

Ingredients

• Bread flour or all-purpose flour – Bread flour will give the loaf more chew and a slightly more bakery-style interior with bigger irregular air pockets, but all-purpose flour still makes a really good loaf if that’s what you already have sitting in the pantry. It will just be a little denser.
• Warm water – Warm enough to wake the yeast up, not hot enough to ruin its entire day.
• Instant yeast – This cuts down the rise time and doesn’t need proofing first. You can use regular yeast, just plan for it taking longer.
• Salt – Bread without enough salt does not taste good no matter how good the crust looks.
• Sugar – Enough to feed the yeast and soften the roasted garlic without making the dough sweet.
• Olive oil – Keeps the interior slightly softer and gives the loaf a richer texture.
• Garlic bulbs – Roasting completely changes the garlic. Instead of sharp garlic punches, the cloves turn soft, sweet, spreadable, and almost buttery once they come out of the oven.
• Fresh rosemary – Rosemary holds onto its flavor surprisingly well during baking, which is why it works so well in bread. The oils stay noticeable all the way through baking instead of disappearing into the dough.

How To Make Roasted Garlic Rosemary Artisan Bread

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (make the dough and roast the garlic)
  Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt together, then add the warm water and olive oil. Knead until the dough turns smooth, soft, and slightly tacky instead of dry and stiff. Cover and let it rise until doubled while the garlic roasts in the oven until soft enough to smash with a spoon. The whole kitchen starts smelling incredible around this point.
• Step Two (make the filling and shape the loaf)
  Mash the roasted garlic with the rosemary until it turns into a spreadable paste. Stretch the dough into a rectangle, spread most of the garlic mixture over the surface, then fold the dough like a letter before adding the rest of the garlic and rolling everything into a tight loaf. Folding the garlic into layers instead of kneading it straight into the dough gives the bread streaks of roasted garlic flavor all the way through instead of occasional garlic-heavy bites.
• Step Three (second rise and bake)
  Let the loaf rise again until puffy and slightly rounded while the Dutch oven heats up. The hot Dutch oven traps steam around the bread during the first part of baking, which is what gives the loaf that golden crust and chewy artisan texture. Bake covered first, then uncover it for the final stretch so the crust turns crackly and browned.
• Step Four (cool before slicing)
  Let the bread cool before cutting into it even though this quickly becomes the hardest part of the entire recipe. Slicing too early traps too much steam inside the loaf and can leave the interior gummy instead of airy and chewy. Somebody usually ignores this advice every single time I make bread.

Recipe Tips

• If the roasted garlic feels especially loose or oily after mashing, add a tiny pinch of flour before spreading it onto the dough. Too much moisture can make shaping the dough messier than it needs to be.
• One confident slash across the top almost always gives better oven spring than several hesitant little cuts. Bread can sense fear honestly.
• If the dough starts shrinking back while you’re shaping it, leave it alone for 5 or 10 minutes and try again. Sometimes the gluten just needs a few minutes to relax.
• The loaf should look puffier and feel lighter after the second rise, but not fragile or overinflated. Over-proofed dough tends to spread outward instead of lifting upward once it hits the oven.
• Hot roasted garlic can weaken the dough slightly if it goes into the dough straight from the oven, so let it cool down a little before spreading it across the dough.
• Bread flour gives the loaf a chewier artisan texture, but I still make this with all-purpose flour all the time and nobody complains once warm bread shows up.

Storage

• The crust naturally softens a little by the second day because moisture from inside the loaf slowly moves outward overnight. That’s normal with homemade artisan bread.
• Keep the bread loosely wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days. I usually leave it cut-side down on a cutting board with a towel draped loosely over the top instead of sealing it in plastic.
• Avoid refrigerating artisan bread unless you absolutely have to because the cold dries the bread out much faster.
• Slices reheat especially well directly on an oven rack or in a toaster oven because the crust crisps back up while the interior stays soft and warm.

FAQs

• Why fold the roasted garlic into the dough instead of mixing it directly in?
  Folding the roasted garlic into layers keeps the flavor concentrated in ribbons throughout the loaf instead of spreading evenly through every bite. It also keeps the loaf lighter and airier than kneading the garlic directly into the dough.
• Can roasted garlic make bread dough too wet?
  Yes, especially if the garlic is extra oily or very soft after roasting. If the garlic mixture feels loose after mashing, a tiny pinch of flour helps absorb some moisture and makes shaping easier.
• Why didn’t my loaf rise upward?
  Usually either the dough was over-proofed during the second rise or the shaping didn’t create enough surface tension before baking. The loaf should look puffy and airy before baking while still holding its shape.
• Can I refrigerate the dough overnight?
  Yes. The dough develops really good flavor from a slower overnight rise in the refrigerator. Just let it sit at room temperature for a little while before shaping if it feels very cold and tight.
• Why is my bread dense instead of airy?
  Dense bread usually comes from under-proofing, adding too much flour during shaping, or cutting into the loaf before it finishes cooling. The interior continues setting as it cools.
• Can I use sourdough starter instead of yeast?
  Probably, although I made this recipe specifically around commercial yeast timing and dough strength. A sourdough version would need hydration and fermentation adjustments.
• Why does the crust soften after cooling?
  The inside of the loaf continues releasing moisture after baking, and some of that moisture slowly moves into the crust as the bread sits. Fresh artisan bread almost always has its crispiest crust within the first several hours after baking.

From My Kitchen Notes

Observations from the margins.

• The smell of roasted garlic and rosemary in a house changes people’s demeanor almost immediately.
• Bread dough is alive enough to rearrange its surroundings if you give it enough time and warmth. Draw your own conclusions.
• There are people who wait for bread to cool and people who immediately tear into the loaf while burning their fingers. Very different energy. Very different people.
• I like people who also understand fermentation. Patience, pressure, timing, holding back. Same skill set, but applied differently.
• Garlic gets sweeter the longer you’re willing to leave it in the heat.
• Some things become more powerful once they’re folded in instead of sitting visibly on the surface.
• Bread dough taught me very early that expansion is usually happening long before anything visibly rises.
• There’s a difference between feeding people and making them feel safe enough to stay awhile.
• Fresh bread pulls people into the kitchen faster than almost anything else. Nobody really resists it. They just pretend they meant to walk in there.
• There are people who can smell bread baking from the farthest room in the house and suddenly appear in the doorway two minutes later like wildlife.
• The kitchen gets strangely honest once warm bread and butter enters the room.
• Some things are technically simple but still take years before they feel natural in your hands.
• Bread baking is mostly waiting around while invisible things continue working.
• Some people circle warmth carefully before they let themselves get too close to it.
• Sometimes the thing filling the entire house is still somehow never directly acknowledged.
• Some things become impossible to ignore once they’ve spent enough time in the oven.
• You can tell a lot about somebody by how they butter bread.
• There are people who butter the entire slice at once and people who only butter the exact bite they’re about to take. Completely different upbringing.
• Etiquette classes taught me how to butter bread properly at a table. Real life usually has other plans. I still automatically move a little butter onto the bread plate first even though absolutely nobody is policing me anymore.
• Table manners are fascinating because half of them are really just lessons about managing appetite publicly. Some habits stay in your hands long after you stop consciously thinking about them.
• Warm bread has undone years of formal table training in under thirty seconds.
• There’s a part of me that still hears tiny etiquette instructions every time bread hits the table.
• Bread service becomes much more revealing once people stop trying to look composed.
• There’s something funny about spending years learning elegant manners only to completely lose interest in it around hot bread and good butter.
• Some people butter bread cautiously like they’re budgeting for winter.
• Some combinations were always going to become a thing once butter got involved.

More Bread Recipes for Bread People

• Chocolate Chip Artisan Bread – crusty loaf with chocolate chips.
• Honey Oatmeal Bread – soft hearty beginner-friendly loaf.
• Round Challah Bread Recipe – golden braided loaf tutorial.
• Homemade Slider Buns – soft cloud-like homemade buns.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Print

Roasted Garlic Rosemary Artisan Bread

This roasted garlic rosemary artisan bread folds roasted garlic directly into the loaf instead of mixing it throughout the dough. The result is a crackly crust, chewy crumb, and ribbons of sweet roasted garlic and rosemary layered through every slice.

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate chip artisan bread, homemade artisan bread, roasted garlic bread, roasted garlic rosemary artisan bread, rosemary bread

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Rise snd Cooling: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8 to 10 slices

Calories 235kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• Stand Mixer or large mixing bowl. For mixing and kneading the dough.
• Dutch Oven (5.5 to 6 quart). Creates steam for an artisan-style crust.
• kitchen scale For weighing ingredients. (optional)
• parchment paper Helps safely transfer the dough.
• Banneton or towel-lined bowl. Supports the loaf during the second rise.
• bread lame or sharp knife. For scoring the dough.
• digital thermometer Checks for doneness.

Ingredients

Dough:

• about 4 cups (500 g) bread flour or all-purpose flour
• 2¼ tsps (7 g / 1 packet) RapidRise yeast if you use regular yeast your rise times will be longer
• 2 tbsps (25 g) granulated sugar
• 1¾ tsps (10 g) table salt
• 1¼ cups (300 ml) warm water (105–110°F / 40–43°C)
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil

Roasted Garlic Filling:

• 2 medium garlic bulbs
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil
• 2 tbsps finely chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions

• Combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl. Add the warm water and olive oil, then mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with a dough hook on medium-low speed for 6–8 minutes or knead by hand for 8–10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth, soft, and slightly tacky.
  about 4 cups (500 g) bread flour, 2¼ tsps (7 g / 1 packet) RapidRise yeast, 2 tbsps (25 g) granulated sugar, 1¾ tsps (10 g) table salt, 1¼ cups (300 ml) warm water, 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil
• Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 60–90 minutes or until doubled in size.
• While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the tops off the garlic bulbs, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 35–45 minutes until the cloves are soft and golden. Let cool slightly.
  2 medium garlic bulbs, 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil
• Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into a small bowl and mash with the chopped rosemary until spreadable. If the mixture feels especially loose or oily, stir in a small pinch of flour to help it spread more evenly across the dough.
  2 tbsps finely chopped fresh rosemary
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently stretch it into an 11 x 9-inch (28 x 23 cm) rectangle. Spread about two-thirds of the roasted garlic mixture over the dough. Fold the dough like a letter by bringing the bottom third upward and the top third downward. Spread the remaining garlic mixture lightly over the folded dough, then roll tightly into a log and pinch the seam closed.
• Place the dough seam-side down into a floured banneton or towel-lined bowl. Cover and let rise for 45–75 minutes until the dough looks puffy and slowly springs back when lightly pressed.
• Place a Dutch oven with its lid into the oven and preheat to 450°F (232°C) for at least 20 minutes before baking.
• Turn the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and score the top with one confident slash using a sharp knife or bread lame. Carefully transfer the dough into the hot Dutch oven using the parchment paper.
• Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for 15–20 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the loaf reaches an internal temperature of 200–205°F (93–96°C).
• Transfer the bread to a wire rack and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. Cutting too early can create a gummy interior while the crumb is still setting.

Notes

• Bread flour creates a slightly chewier artisan-style crumb, while all-purpose flour gives the loaf a softer interior.
• Roasting the garlic before layering it into the dough creates a sweeter, mellow flavor that spreads through the loaf without overpowering it.
• If the dough feels tight or resistant while shaping, let it rest for 5–10 minutes before continuing.
• A 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven works best for this loaf. Larger Dutch ovens will still work, but the dough may spread a little wider before it starts rising upward.
• The loaf is fully baked when the crust sounds hollow when tapped and the interior reaches 200–205°F (93–96°C).
• Store leftover bread at room temperature wrapped in a clean kitchen towel or paper bag for up to 2 days.

If you’re making this Roasted Garlic Rosemary Artisan Bread, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

 

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

 

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 95g | Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 585mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made this Roasted Garlic Rosemary Artisan Bread? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Roasted Garlic Rosemary Artisan Bread appeared first on Noble Pig.

Crispy Smashed Potato Salad With Lemon Herb Dressing

Crispy smashed potato salad started because I was tired of the usual mushy cookout bowls. Something with jagged roasted edges and soft centers sounded a lot more interesting to me. That craving turned into a lemon herb dressing that gets into every crack of the potatoes instead of sitting on the outside like regular potato salad dressing usually does. It ended up part crispy sheet pan potatoes, part potato salad, and a lot more interesting than the cold mushy versions we see all summer long.

So I was making my usual salt and vinegar smashed potatoes one night and kept staring at the tray thinking, why can’t these become potato salad? I already know I like German potato salad better than cold boiled potato salad half the time anyway, mostly because it has texture, crispy add-ins, and edges that make it feel like somebody cared what happened to the potatoes before the mayonnaise showed up.

And then I started spiraling into why I was accepting the texture limitations of traditional potato salad in the first place. Smashed potatoes by default create all these jagged edges and extra surface area for dressing to grab onto. Roasted potatoes taste like something on their own instead of just being a soft delivery system for mayonnaise. And nothing against mayonnaise, but you know what I mean.

I went through several versions of this before it ended up here because at first I tried making it with more traditional potato salad dressing and it was meh, and wrong against the crispy potatoes. I wanted the roasted edges to taste more distinct, so eventually I ended up with this lemony herb dressing with Dijon, dill, parsley, black pepper, and enough acidity to keep the potatoes from fading into the background.

This is now the potato salad I make when I want texture (which is always) instead of a cold bowl of mayonnaise tied to some vague social obligation. The roasted edges stay crisp, the lemon and herbs keep everything tasting fresh, and I like it best slightly warm right after the dressing gets into all the smashed potato crevices. Also be prepared to lose at least a quarter of the tray to people stealing crispy potatoes straight off the sheet pan before dinner even starts because nobody knows how to act around roasted potatoes.

What Makes This Crispy Potato Salad Different

• Traditional potato salad keeps the potatoes soft the entire time, which is exactly the problem. Or maybe it’s not, if that’s what you want. The crispy potatoes ARE what make this different. Boiling them first gives you soft centers, then the oven handles all the roasting. Starting from raw potatoes skips the whole fluffy-center part.
• Once the potatoes flatten and crack a little, all the rough edges start roasting instead of staying smooth like regular potato salad chunks. The dressing gets into all the crevices instead of just coating the outside of giant potato cubes.
• I also like this best slightly warm or at room temperature because the crispy edges still have texture. Refrigerator-cold potato salad has a time and place in life, but this one is just so much better.
• I went through a few versions before I realized traditional potato salad dressing was completely wrong for crispy potatoes. Crispy roasted potatoes need acid, herbs, lemon, Dijon, black pepper. Without it the crispy potatoes lost the contrast that made this whole concept work.

Ingredients

• Baby potatoes – The skins stay tender after roasting and the smaller size makes smashing easy without the whole tray becoming accidental mashed potatoes. Once smashed, all those rough edges roast instead of staying smooth.
• Olive oil – Enough for the smashed edges to roast golden instead of drying out and disappointing everyone.
• Garlic powder – Fresh garlic burns too easily in the oven. Garlic powder coats the potatoes more evenly without burned garlic bits turning bitter in the oven.
• Paprika – Mostly here for color and roasted warmth.
• Mayonnaise – Enough to coat everything without burying the crispy texture underneath a mayonnaise avalanche.
• Dijon mustard – Keeps the dressing from fading once everything gets tossed together.
• Fresh lemon juice – Crispy potatoes plus lemon is one of the better decisions available to humanity. Don’t leave it out.
• Fresh dill – Dill changes the direction in a good way. Without it, it tastes traditional. Dill keeps everything tasting fresher instead of like it came in a plastic grocery store tub.
• Fresh parsley – Parsley keeps the dressing from tasting overly rich.

How To Make Crispy Smashed Potato Salad

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (boil the potatoes)
  Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the baby potatoes until fork-tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain well, then let them sit for a few minutes so the steam can escape because wet potatoes are not becoming crispy potatoes anytime soon.
• Step Two (smash them)
  Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Smash each potato with the bottom of a glass or fork until flattened but still mostly intact. Those rough smashed edges are what get crispy later.
• Step Three (roast until crispy)
  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes until golden with crispy edges and soft centers. Pale potatoes are rarely the answer.
• Step Four (make the dressing)
  While the potatoes roast, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Stir in the dill and parsley, then season with salt and pepper to taste. The potatoes absorb a lot of flavor, so the dressing should taste brighter before everything gets mixed together.
• Step Five (assemble the salad)
  Let the potatoes cool for about 10 minutes before tossing so the dressing doesn’t immediately wipe out all the crispy texture. Toss gently.

Recipe Tips

• Let the potatoes steam dry for a few minutes after draining because steam is the enemy of crispy edges.
• Don’t smash them perfectly. The messy cracked edges are what turn crispy in the oven.
• A thin metal spatula works best for getting the potatoes off the parchment without tearing off all the crispy bottoms.
• Don’t overcrowd the pan or the potatoes steam each other instead of roasting.
• Toss gently once the dressing goes in because the crispy edges are fragile.
• Saving a few extra crispy potatoes for the top is never a bad decision.

Storage

• The potatoes lose some crispness in the refrigerator, which is unavoidable, but the flavor gets better after the dressing, lemon, and herbs sit together for a while.
• I like leftovers best after sitting out at room temperature for 10 or 15 minutes because the dressing softens again and the potatoes stop tasting refrigerator stunned.

FAQs

• Is this potato salad served warm or cold?
  I like it best slightly warm or at room temperature because cold potatoes mute a lot of the texture.
• Why boil potatoes before roasting?
  Because boiling gives you soft fluffy centers first, then roasting gives you crispy edges later. Starting from raw potatoes doesn’t create the same contrast.
• Why aren’t my potatoes getting crispy?
  Usually because the potatoes were still too wet before roasting or the pan was overcrowded. The potatoes need room to roast.
• Can I make this ahead of time?
  Yes, although the potatoes are crispiest the first day. The leftovers are still great, especially once they warm up a little out of the refrigerator.
• What potatoes work best for smashed potato salad?
  Baby potatoes work best because they hold together better after smashing and the skins stay tender after roasting.

From My Kitchen Notes

A few observations from my kitchen.

• Some potatoes only become interesting once a little heat and pressure hit them. Same for some people.
• Crispy potatoes rarely survive long enough to become leftovers. Draw your own conclusions.
• I have a soft spot for people who feel comfortable enough to grab a few potatoes off the sheet pan instead of waiting for an invitation.
• Texture changes everything. Food. Conversation. Attraction. Timing.
• There are people who soften immediately the second anything emotional touches them. Crispy potatoes resist a little longer.
• The potatoes that get stolen first are always the ones with the most surface area.
• People reveal themselves very quickly around food that was clearly made with effort.
• It takes surprisingly little encouragement for people to abandon their dignity around roasted potatoes. Especially me.
• I no longer seek out potato salad that doesn’t offer at least one textural experience. This applies to people too.
• It’s fascinating how some people stay close to the kitchen without technically entering it.
• Some things are dramatically better warm.

More Side Dishes With Crispy Edges

• Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus – savory roasted asparagus wrapped in crispy bacon.
• Marry Me Melting Cabbage – creamy Tuscan-inspired cabbage with roasted edges.
• Blistered Shishito Peppers – blistered peppers with garlic chive aioli.
• Tater Tot Poutine – crispy tater tots, cheese curds, and homemade gravy.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Print

Crispy Smashed Potato Salad with Lemon Herb Dressing

Crispy Smashed Potato Salad subs traditional soft potato chunks for roasted smashed potatoes with golden crispy edges and fluffy centers. Tossed with a creamy lemon herb dressing made with fresh dill, parsley, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice, this warm potato salad ends up somewhere between crispy sheet pan potatoes and classic cookout potato salad.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword crispy potato salad, crispy smashed potato salad, lemon herb potato salad, roasted potato salad, smashed potato salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Cooling: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6

Calories 255kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• large pot For boiling the potatoes before roasting.
• baking sheet (large) Gives the potatoes room to crisp instead of steam.
• parchment paper Prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier.
• mixing bowls (large). For tossing the potatoes with the dressing.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs (907 g) baby potatoes
• 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil
• salt and pepper
• ½ tsp (2 g) garlic powder
• ½ tsp (2 g) paprika
• ½ cup (120 g) mayonnaise
• 1½ tbsps (23 g) Dijon mustard
• 1 to 2 tbsps (15-30 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsps (2 g) chopped fresh dill
• 1-2 tbsps (2 g) chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the baby potatoes and cook until fork-tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain well and let the potatoes sit for a few minutes so excess moisture can evaporate, which helps the potatoes crisp more effectively in the oven.
  2 lbs (907 g) baby potatoes
• Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking sheet. Using the bottom of a glass or a fork, gently smash each potato until flattened but still mostly intact. Drizzle with olive oil, then season evenly with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
  2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil, salt and pepper, ½ tsp (2 g) garlic powder, ½ tsp (2 g) paprika
• Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are deeply golden with crisp edges and soft centers. Allow the potatoes to cool for about 10 minutes before tossing with the dressing so they keep more of their texture.
• While the potatoes roast, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and fresh lemon juice in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in the fresh dill and parsley, then season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
  ½ cup (120 g) mayonnaise, 1½ tbsps (23 g) Dijon mustard, 1 to 2 tbsps (15-30 ml) fresh lemon juice, 2 tbsps (2 g) chopped fresh dill, 1-2 tbsps (2 g) chopped fresh parsley
• Add the roasted smashed potatoes to the bowl and toss gently to coat. Reserve a few extra crispy potatoes for the top if desired. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature for the best texture.

Notes

• Let the potatoes dry slightly after boiling so the oven can crisp the edges instead of steaming them.
• Smashing creates rough surfaces that catch more dressing and develop more crispy texture while roasting.
• Baby potatoes work best because the skins stay tender and the centers stay creamy after roasting.
• This potato salad is best served slightly warm or at room temperature when the crispy edges still have texture.
• Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The potatoes soften over time, but the flavor stays excellent. Let the salad sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving leftovers.

 

 

If you’re making this Crispy Smashed Potato Salad, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Serving: 220g | Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 620mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg

Have you made this Crispy Smashed Potato Salad? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Crispy Smashed Potato Salad appeared first on Noble Pig.