Susan Beckstrand's Zucchini Casserole

(This is my husband's favorite - and it's a low-carb, most delicious way to use summer zucchini - sometimes we even have to have it in the middle of the winter!)

Slice and par boil one large zucchini, drain and lay it in a casserole dish.

Make a very basic tomato sauce with cooked ground beef* & onion, 2 cans diced or crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. (NO flour or other spices!) Poor over zucchini.

Sprinkle grated cheese over this, & be generous. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the cheese. (I usually make them with a piece of toast.) Broil until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

 

Mmm, mmm good!

*I fry all my hamburger up when I buy it -with or without onions- and pkg it for individual meals (1/2-1 lb sizes) & freeze - very quick to thaw, and makes meal prep VERY fast.

Banana Bread Bars with Brown Butter Frosting

Ingredients:

Banana Bread Bars:

1-1/2 c. sugar

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1-3/4 (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Brown Butter Frosting:

1/2 c. butter

4 c. powdered sugar

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. milk

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 375F.  Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan.  For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.  Blend in bananas andvanilla extract.  Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute.  Stir in walnuts.

2.  Spread batter evenly into pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

3.  Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling.  Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately.

4.  Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk.  Whisk together until smooth (it should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting).  Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm). 

Yield: 2 dozen large bars

Find original recipe & pictures here: Banana Bread Bars with Brown Butter Frosting - mmm!

Best Brownies - from Allrecipes.com

Best Brownies Rated: Submitted By: Angie Photo By: CC♥'s2bake Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cook Time: 35 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour Servings: 16 "These rich, fudgy brownies are easy to whip up!" INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup butter 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 3 tablespoons butter, softened 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup confectioners' sugar DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan. 2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan. 3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook. 4. To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Frost brownies while they are still warm. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2012 Allrecipes.com

I'm including this useful review:

 Reviewed on Jan. 22, 2004 by The Spicelands

These are great! I changed the recipe to make them better for you. I used 1/2 c. applesauce instead of butter and 1/2 cup Equal spoonfuls and 1/2 cup sugar instead of 1 cup sugar and used egg substitute and omitted the glaze. They ended up with only 45 calories apiece and 0 grams of fat! they were SOOOO GOOOD!!! :-)

Find the source recipe here.