These egg salad sandwiches are inspired by the oh-so delicious Vietnamese sandwich that’s typically made with meat (or sometimes tofu), meat pâté, pickled veggies, jalapeños, and fresh herbs all piled on a perfectly chewy-yet-soft-inside-yet-crunchy-outside baguette. But instead of meat or tofu, this one’s stuffed with egg salad. Obvious choice, right?

I know, not obvious.

Here’s how I came up with the idea.

Our local Vietnamese restaurant has delicious banh mi sandwiches. I get mine with tofu, my guy gets his with chicken or pork. But they also top every sandwich with a fried egg. Which sort of threw me for a loop at first, but then, I dug it. A lot.

So when it came time for me to finally try my hand at banh mi at home, something in me was screaming “Egg! Egg!” And then I came to the egg salad place and thought, hmm, that just might work and then we tried it all topped with Sriracha and it was glorious and the end.

I arrive at my recipe ideas in the most elegant fashion, as you can see. 😉

So yep. Egg Salad Banh Mi. Cringe if you must, but by now you know I was not going for authentic – I was just going for something fun. A delicious vegetarian banh mi situation + a little spin on egg salad. A veggie-laden egg salad inside a perfectly crunchy-crusted baguette, topped with a pile of quick-pickled veggies …

… and then loaded up with fresh herbs in true banh-mi fashion. And THEN drizzled with Sriracha sauce because hello, Sriracha sauce.

Basically, this is the best egg salad sandwich I’ve ever had. Possibly the messiest, but also the best.

Oh, and one nice thing about this one is that you can prep the veggies and make the egg salad ahead of time. So then all you have left to do is slice the bread, toast it if you want, and assemble. And, of course, eat!

More Vegetarian Sandwich Recipes

• Ultimate Veggie BLT
• Vegetarian Club Sandwich
• Grilled Veggie Sandwich
• Chickpea Salad Sandwich
• Cauliflower Steak Sandwich
• Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Sandwich
• The Perfect Grilled Cheese

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Bahn Mi-Inspired Egg Salad Sandwiches

Next-level egg salad! Piled high with quick-marinated veggies, fresh cilantro and mint, some jalapeños and Sriracha for heat; all on a crunchy-chewy-soft golden baguette. Egg-xtradordinarily tasty!

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 (5-inch) sandwiches

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 cup shredded daikon radish
• 1/2 cup sliced cucumbers halved
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons light agave nectar can sub granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 10-inch French bread baguettes, sliced in half (but still attached on one side) (My favorite for banh mi are these take-and-bake French demi baguettes – they toast up perfect for these sandwiches)
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro stems removed
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper thinly sliced
• Sriracha to taste (optional)

For the egg salad:

• 3 hard-boiled eggs peeled and chopped (I use my Instant Pot for hard-boiled eggs – so easy!)
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Make the marinated veggies. Place carrots, daikon radish, cucumbers, vinegar, agave nectar, and salt in a medium bowl. Toss well. Set aside and let sit for 10-30 minutes.
• While the veggies sit, make the egg salad. In a small bowl, mix the chopped eggs, mayo, salt, and pepper. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
• Half the bread, keeping one side attached. Toast if desired. Place bread under the broiler until pale golden and a bit crusty (mine takes about 1 minute). Remove from oven. Or, if you’re doing a take-and-bake baguette situation, hurry and bake ’em on up!
• Slather tops of bread with the remaining 2 tablespoons mayonnaise. Divide egg salad between sandwiches, piling/spreading on lower half. Top each half with pickled veggies (go ahead, load it up!) and scatter jalapeños over the top (a lot for more heat and less for … well you get what I’m saying). Cover with cilantro and mint. Squeeze Sriracha over the top of each, if desired (a little goes a long way!)
• Close the sandwich (the best you can) and slice in half. Serve immediately. Makes 4 (5-inch) sandwiches.

The post Banh Mi-Inspired Egg Salad Sandwiches appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

They say bacon is what the majority of vegetarians miss most. Not for me. One of the things I do miss most, though, is seafood. While I’m not exactly tempted to run out and stuff my face with fried fish, I do miss the whole … subculture that goes along with eating seafood. Cracking crab feasts atop newspaper-lined picnic tables; sandy clam digging at low tide; 4 a.m. fishing trips on the Sound; crispy coconut shrimp at a beachside cafe with serious seagulls perched on every pier.

I’m still trying to figure out exactly how to replicate the crab boil experience for vegetarians, but until that happens, I’m pretty sure I’ve go the answer for coconut shrimp right here: Crispy Baked Coconut Zucchini with Mango-Jalapeno Dipping Sauce!

Crispy, crunchy, and dare I say totally grubbin’, I think this is the most fun way to use up my garden zucchini yet. Plus, it’s oven-baked, so there’s a healthier-than-deep-fried component here too. Win-win!

The key to crispy oven-baked zucchini is twofold: first, you coat the zucchini in flour, then, after a quick egg dip, you dip it in Panko-style bread crumbs and coconut flakes.

And then all you do is bake these suckers until the zucchini is just tender and the coconut breading is golden brown and perfectly crunchy/crispy.

So good! The clincher, though, is this Mango-Jalapeno Dipping Sauce. It’s super easy, too – just a quick puree of fresh mango, jalapeno, honey, lime, and rice vinegar. Sweet with a touch of heat, and SO PERFECT with this baked coconut zucchini.

Giant finger alert!

Who needs shrimp?! The garden’s got us covered on this one.

(more…)

The post Crispy Baked Coconut Zucchini with Mango-Jalapeno Dipping Sauce appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Which is why it is so strange that it appears that, in my 5 years of food blogging, I apparently have not shared one peach recipe. Not a single one! I have no earthly clue what that is all about, because I’m a total peach fangirl.

I guess I’ll just have to dedicate myself to solving the problem of zero peach posts – one tasty recipe at a time. The sacrifices I make.

I couldn’t be happier that these Grilled Peach Fontina Quesadillas mark my first peach recipe entry in the blogosphere. Now I want to create all peach recipes, all the time! ~Millions of peaches, peaches for me.~

Okay, or three.

Did you know, by the way, that the lead singer of The Presidents of the United States of America (whose song I just referenced there) is also popular children’s artist Caspar Babypants? I swear there’s this whole new underworld out there that you have no idea exists until you have a young kiddo in your life. Now, instead of going to cool little indie concerts, I find myself lugging a picnic lunch and a toddler to Caspar Babypants shows in the park. Which – don’t tell anyone – I love just as much. Now if I can just get “Bad Blue Jay” out of my head, I’ll be good.

Tangent! Back to these quesadillas.

First of all, peaches make an unbelievable filling in ‘dillas. Like, seriously incredible. Their juicy sweetness is the perfect counterpoint to savory melty cheese – especially creamy fontina. I decided to add a touch of crunch and heat with thinly sliced fresh jalapenos, too. And that’s it – unless you add a little cooked chicken for the carnivores (we used leftover store-bought rotisserie chicken). Seriously, these bad boys are so. freaking. easy.

And they’re even easier when cooked on the grill. Have you tried quesadillas on the grill yet? It’s an incredible way to cook them up. No oil needed. Just crank up the heat – medium to medium-high – and the tortilla grills up golden brown and a bit crispy; the insides get all warm and gooey, and the best part is, they cook up in just a couple of minutes. It’s crazy easy.

But if you don’t have a grill, or you want to cook up these quesadillas in a different way,  don’t miss this post over on Oh My Veggies. It’s got you covered.

I served these up with a simple mix of halved cherry tomatoes and fresh cilantro tossed in a honey-lime vinaigrette. My guy prefers his with salsa and sour cream. Avocado or guacamole would be outstanding, too. Either way, you can’t lose.

Peachy deliciousness from other food blogs

Grilled peach, brie, & basil sandwich from Two Peas and Their Pod | Make-ahead peaches & cream breakfast bake from Half Baked Harvest | Grilled peach salad & mint pesto from Love & Lemons | and 4 ways to have peaches for breakfast from Oh My Veggies

(more…)

The post Grilled Peach Fontina Quesadillas with Optional Chicken appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Macaroni and cheese is the perfect vehicle for jalapeno pepper goodness. All that dairy helps to neutralize the heat so that by the time it hits your tongue, there’s a nice spicy wallop followed immediately by mouth-mellowing cheese.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love This Smoked Jalapeño Mac & Cheese Recipe
• Jalapeño Mac & Cheese Ingredients
• Tips About Jalapeño Peppers & Heat Level
• How to Make Baked Jalapeño Mac & Cheese
• More Mac & Cheese Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Reviews & Comments

The Story Behind the Recipe

I used to despise super-spicy foods. I would say that food shouldn’t hurt. I was a sissy.

Now, I say: Bring it on! I mean, within reason, and with a glass of milk nearby to tame the fire if it gets too out of control. I may not be totally wimpy about heat any longer, I still have to be prepared.

This jalapeño mac and cheese is perfect for reformed spice sissies like me. The heat from the jalapeños is immediately tamed by the cooling effect of the dairy. It keeps me coming back for more, burn and all!

Why You’ll Love This Smoked Jalapeño Mac & Cheese Recipe

This super creamy mac and cheese is a take on the best macaroni and cheese ever. We’ve got a similar roux-based, rich, uber-cheesy sauce – and lots of it, so that the end result is nice and creamy. Baked mac and cheese that comes out dry just makes everyone sad.

This one stays ooey, creamy, and gooey. And cheesy. And spicy!

Jalapeño Mac & Cheese Ingredients

To make it special and smoky, I add some smoked cheddar to the mix, along with two whole jalapeno peppers, seeds and all. A couple of dashes of Tabasco sauce, and it’s the bee’s knees. (Can you name that movie?)

Here’s the full list of ingredients along with suggestions and substitution ideas.

• Pasta – I like penne pasta or elbows for this jalapeno mac & cheese, but shells or another medium tubular pasta are also great.
• Butter & flour – These form a thick and rich roux base for the sauce.
• Salt, dry mustard powder, and black pepper – To highlight all of those delicious cheesy flavors. Throw in a generous pinch of smoked paprika if you’d like an extra dose of smoky flavor.
• Milk – whole or 2% works, or unsweetened oat milk is great too (obviously jalapeno mac & cheese is not without dairy, but sometimes that’s all I have in my fridge)
• Smoked cheddar & medium cheddar cheeses – I love adding two types of cheddar to my spicy mac and cheese for sort of a smoked jalapeno mac & cheese situation. Feel free to mix up the cheeses if you like. Gruyere is fab, pepper jack would be great, Monterey Jack is good, and smoked gouda would be wonderful!
• Jalapeno peppers: The amount of heat in the end result depends on two things: 1) The amount of seeds you include and 2) The heat in your jalapeno peppers, which can vary widely (but see this post by Simply Recipes for tips that should help!) More tips in the next section.
• Jalapeño Tabasco sauce: Adds an irresistible little kick!

Tips About Jalapeño Peppers & Heat Level

I recommend taking a quick taste of your jalapenos to see just how spicy they really are. If they seem pretty mild, maybe go ahead and use the whole thing, seeds and all (well, cut off the stem first). And even then, again depending on your peppers, your mac may not have a super-insane kick.

On the flip side, if your jalapenos are super hot, you may want to add just a few of the seeds from one of the peppers. And the end result may still may be too hot for you.

So while it’s kind of frustrating that you can’t guarantee the exact same outcome every time you make this, I opt to embrace that fact. It’s like Christmas morning. What are we going to get?!!

Note: No matter the heat level, this is still an insanely delicious, cheesy, over-the-top creamy mac and cheese. Sissy swear.

How to Make Baked Jalapeño Mac & Cheese

Jalapeno mac and cheese is made in the classic way, starting with a roux-based sauce. Once the sauce has thickened, stir in your cheeses until they melt, then add the diced jalapeños. Fold in the pasta, pour into a casserole dish, top with more shredded cheese, and bake until bubbly and golden on top.

More Mac & Cheese Recipes

• One of the most popular recipes on Kitchen Treaty from the very beginning, The Best Baked Mac & Cheese Recipe Ever is, arguably, just that!
• For vegans, these two recipes are both SO GOOD: Ridiculously Creamy Dairy-Free Shells & Cheese or Super Creamy Vegan Stovetop Mac & “Cheese” 
• Veggie Lover’s Stovetop Mac & Cheese packs in three types of veggies for cheesy pasta bliss.
• Stovetop Butternut Mac & Cheese super decadent with creamy butternut squash – and so easy to make!
• Southwest Mac & Cheese lends another spicy spin!

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Jalapeno Mac & Cheese

Generously flecked with jalapeno peppers, this ooey gooey baked mac and cheese packs a good dose of nice, smoky heat.

Course dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword mac & cheese

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 503kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 8 oz. elbow pasta* roughly 1¾ cups, depending on your pasta
• 3 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2½ cups milk whole or 2% works
• 1 1/2 cups shredded smoked cheddar cheese 6 ounces, divided
• 1 1/2 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese 6 ounces, divided
• 2 medium jalapeno peppers stems removed and finely diced; include seeds for spicier chili or leave them out for a milder version
• 1 teaspoon green jalapeño Tabasco sauce plus more to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
• Boil the pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain. If, it’s going to be awhile before you make the sauce, toss in a little butter or olive oil to help keep the pasta from sticking together.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour, dry mustard, salt, and black pepper. Stir constantly over medium heat for about three minutes.
• Switch to a whisk and continue stirring while slowly pouring in the milk. Whisk frequently for about 5 minutes, and then constantly for another 5 minutes or so, until the sauce heats and thickens.
• Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the smoked cheddar, 1 cup of the medium cheddar, jalapeno peppers, and Tabasco sauce, stirring until the cheese has melted.
• Add the pasta and toss until completely coated with the jalapeño cheese sauce.
• Add half the pasta to a two quart casserole dish and sprinkle on half of the remaining cheeses.
• Add the remaining pastas and sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
• Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.

Notes

Pasta notes: I recommend a medium-size elbow macaroni or another medium tubular pasta like penne. Shells are also wonderful!

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 667mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 958IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 536mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Jalapeno Mac & Cheese appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.