This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive.

Food Mashups You Can Easily Make At Home

Tasty Twists On Traditional Recipes You Love

The only thing better than one delicious dish is two mashed together to make a whole kind of food.

But we're not talking deep-fried carnival eats here — these food combinations are easy to make at home and healthier than the fast food options you usually find. From quinoa cookies to butter chicken mac and cheese, these tasty twists are worth a try.

Butter Chicken Mac & Cheese
Food & Whine
Fragrant Indian butter chicken and classic mac & cheese combine to create the ultimate comfort food. This recipe uses evaporated milk to reduce the fat while maintaining creaminess. Rotisserie chicken helps speed up the cooking process, so you can have this sensational meal on the table in no time.

You can either combine the butter chicken with the macaroni and cheese in a large serving dish, or dish out the macaroni and pile the butter chicken on top. Sprinkle with a handful of fresh cilantro before serving.

Ingredients For Butter Chicken
1 tbsp butter
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 tbsp butter chicken curry paste
1 can (398ml) diced tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 cups rotisserie cooked chicken, skin removed and meat chopped up
1/8 cup evaporated milk
1/8 cup fresh cilantro, diced
salt, to taste

Directions For Butter Chicken
1. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and curry paste. Cook for about 5 minutes, until onions have softened.
2. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken, evaporated milk, cilantro, and salt.
3. Cover and simmer on low heat, while preparing macaroni and cheese.

Ingredients For Mac & Cheese
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups evaporated milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup gruyere cheese, grated
2 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles

Directions For Mac & Cheese
1. Heat a large pot of water on high heat, for cooking the macaroni.
2. While waiting for the water to boil, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth.
3. Slowly whisk in evaporated milk. Bring to a boil, whisking continuously, until the sauce begins to thicken.
4. Remove from heat, and add salt and cheese. Stir until cheese has melted completely.
5. Cook macaroni in boiling water, according to package directions.
6. Drain the cooked macaroni, and add it to the sauce. Stir well, until macaroni is fully coated with sauce.
You can either combine the butter chicken with the macaroni and cheese in a large serving dish, or dish out the macaroni and pile the butter chicken on top. Sprinkle with a handful of fresh cilantro before serving.
Greek Nachos
Food & Whine
Go from "Ole!" to "Opa!" with these addictive nachos inspired by the flavours of Greece. Pita chips replace the standard tortilla chips, and they're piled with plenty of tzatziki sauce, Greek salad ingredients, and juicy morsels of chicken. You may never go back to regular nachos again!
Ingredients
2 cups pita chips
1 cup tzatziki
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumbers, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
1/4 cup cooked chicken breast, sliced
3 tbsp Feta cheese, crumbled
3 tbsp Greek salad dressing

Directions
1. Place pita chips on a platter.
2. Spoon tzatziki evenly over top of the chips, followed by tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and olives.
3. Arrange the sliced chicken on top, then sprinkle with Feta cheese.
4. Drizzle the Greek dressing over the nachos, and serve.
Pierogi Casserole
Noshing With The Nolands
Do you love homemade pierogi but hate the time it takes to make them? Try this easy and delicious tasting pierogi casserole that tastes like you have fussed all day.
Ingredients
7-8 medium sized potatoes, washed and peeled and cut into chunks
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup cheese whiz
2 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper
12 slices bacon, cooked crispy
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp butter
4 large sheets of fresh (oven ready) pasta
2 tbsp half and half cream
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
Sour cream
Parsley, flat leaf, for garnish, optional
Directions
1. Boil potatoes in salted water until very tender. Mash with milk, cheese whiz and butter. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if desired. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Saute onion and garlic in 1 tbsp butter until translucent.
3. Break bacon into bits. Butter a 9x13” dish. Layer in half the potatoes. Top with the 2 sheets of lasagna noodles or enough to cover the potatoes completely.
4. Spread half the onion mixture, half the bacon and 1 tbsp of the cream over the lasagna. Repeat layers.
5. Top with the cheddar cheese. Bake covered with foil for 40-45 min. until the cheese is melted.
6. Remove the foil for the last 5 min. Let rest for 5 min. before serving. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and parsley if desired.
Asian Noodle Turkey Soup
Ciao Down
Traditional turkey soup is usually made in large quantities, which can get boring day after day until the pot is empty. All you need for this twisted turkey soup is a handful of classic Asian ingredients like soba noodles and seaweed. This simple switch adds flair and flavour to a traditional dish, making it fun for the entire family.

Ingredients

2 oz Asian noodles such as scallop, soba or rice noodles1 tsp avocado oil or sesame oil1 tbsp dried ground ginger1 tbsp soy sauce1 tsp chili sauce1/2 tsp fish sauceTurkey Stock (homemade or store-bought)2 Thai basil leaves, choppedGarnish with two chopped pieces of sliced seaweed and toasted sesame seeds
Directions
1. Cook the noodles as per package instructions.
2. In a small bowl, mix the ginger, soy sauce, chili sauce, Thai basil and fish sauce.
3. Once the noodles are cooked, toss them with the marinade and place in the bottom of a deep soup bowl.
4. Ladle over hot turkey soup and garnish with seaweed and sesame seeds if desired.
5. Serve some extra chili sauce and soy sauce on the side in case others like their soup more spicy or salty.
Bananas Foster French Toast
Noshing With The Nolands
For a sweet breakfast twist, take a traditionally boozy bananas foster and pour it over a stack of fluffy French toast.
Ingredients For French Toast
5 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
8 thick slices, 1” French bread
Butter for frying

Ingredients For Bananas Foster
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 tbsp banana liqueur, optional
2 under ripe bananas, sliced on the diagonal

Directions
1. For the French toast, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2. Melt butter in a large sized fry pan over medium heat. Dip bread in egg mixture.
3. Place bread in the fry pan and cook until golden brown on both sides. Keep warm while you make the sauce.
4. For the bananas foster, in a medium fry pan melt the butter and then add the brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and banana liqueur.
5. Stir and cook for 1-2 min. until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is bubbling.
6. Add the bananas and stir to coat. Immediately serve over the French toast.
Chocolate Quinoa "Mudpie" Cookies
Short Presents
Mud Pie cookies are a familiar family favourite, but did you know that you could make a very similar cookie that has all the goodness of quinoa and cocoa powder without all the refined sugar? And you don't even have to turn on the oven.
Ingredients
3 cups of cooked quinoa (about 1 cup uncooked)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Directions
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or wax paper since you're not actually baking these cookies). Make sure as well to clear a space in your fridge or freezer for it to cool. Set aside.
2. Cook quinoa according to packaging.
3. Combine coconut oil, maple syrup, and cocoa powder in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to combine. Let boil for about one minute.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter, vanilla and salt. You could also add a packet of stevia here if you like them to be a little sweeter.
5. Combine your 3 cups of cooked quinoa with your chocolate peanut butter mixture, and make sure to combine throughout.
6. Drop batter in small scoops onto the parchment paper and top with chocolate chips if desired.
7. Place trays in fridge or freezer to set, which will take at least an hour. These cookies are ready once they are completely firm.

ALSO ON HUFFPOST

Cronut

Food Mashups

Close
This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.