Zucchini Cheddar Hand Pies

These little hand pies came about earlier this fall, when I was looking for a new way to use up zucchini from the garden. Aren't we all always looking for a new zucchini recipe?

Ok, I realize we ALL probably aren't and really, this one's a bit of a stretch, veering more on the butter and cheddar side of things than on the zuke side. But some days, that is just what you need. And for some people, a camo manoeuvre involving lots of cheese is the only way zucchini will go down pleasantly. So this recipe is dedicated to the world's zucchini haters.

Now I would normally be the last person to tuck zucchini away, incognito, into pockets of melted cheese and flaky pie pastry. I'm of the "nobody puts zucchini in the corner" clan of people and I could eat the stuff every day of my life, loud and proud, fried in a little garlic and olive oil til it's soft. But I realize not everyone feels the way I do, and I made this recipe specifically for my sister, to stock up her freezer after she had her baby. And she is decidedly not a zucchini fan so this was my way of wooing her into eating it. As it turns out, the zucchini kind of melts away into the cheese, creating a gooey mess of deliciousness with only the faintest hint of the taste of zucchini.

These little guys are perfect for those days when you just need to open the freezer door and pop lunch into the oven. And as most new moms can attest to I'm sure, those days can be numerous. And so, not to brag or anything but my anti-zucchini sister declared these a smash success (in case you had any doubt about whether to make them).

My recipe can be found over here, on PBS Food.