Dill Pickle Salsa

 

Sue is way more of a pickle person than I am. I don't hate pickles but they definitely are not my favorite. I will make an exception for this salsa though. #NewFavorite

We were sent a few samples of product from The Spice Age company (Canadian, yay!) and we decided to make something with their Dill Pickle Party Popcorn Seasoning. 

You can check out The Spice Age on their website HERE. 

Dill pickle salsa might seem a little strange at first but pairs well with different meats. We enjoyed eating it straight from the bowl with tortilla chips! 

Dill Pickle Salsa

Ingredients

1 cup garlic dill pickles, finely diced (link HERE)

1 small tomato, seeded, finely diced

1 cup cucumber, seeded, finely diced

1/2 cup red onion, finely diced

1 jalapeno, seeded, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup pickle brine (from the pickle jar)

1 Tbsp fresh dill (1 tsp dry)

1 Tbsp The Spice Age Dill Pickle Party Popcorn Seasoning

Directions

Stir together pickles, tomato, cucumber, red onion, jalapeno, garlic. Add in pickle brine, dill, and popcorn seasoning. (*Note, if you don't have the popcorn seasoning you can just leave it out)

Chill in fridge until ready to use. 

Serve with nacho chips or as a condiment with hot dogs and burgers. 

This salsa only takes a little bit of prep but adds a whole lot of flavor to your meal. Save this recipe for all those family get togethers and BBQs in the summer! 

You won't regret it!

Ultimate Snack Bowl - link HERE 

We are members of the Amazon Affiliate Program and, as such, receive compensation for any purchases made through links on our blog. We were not compensated for this post by The Spice Age company but did receive free samples. Thank you for your support!

Jalapeno Popper Garlic Pickle Rolls

 

Pickles were apparently the flavor trend of 2025. Pickle flavored everything was everywhere. 

Not a huge pickle fan myself but Sue loooooves them. 

I created this recipe for the holidays as a quick and easy appetizer that wouldn't cost me a million dollars. If you like jalapeno poppers then you will probably enjoy this pickle-y twist. 

From start to finish, I think it took me 15 - 20 minutes to make. They were a big hit. Even the non-pickle fans enjoyed them.

If you don't want to do roll ups, you could easily cut pickles in half and scoop out the middle, then pipe the cream cheese filling into them. Roll ups are definitely less time consuming, IMO. 

Jalapeno Popper Garlic Pickle Rolls

Ingredients

1 8 oz brick of cream cheese, softened

2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

1 - 2 jalapeno peppers, finely diced

5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded, aged cheddar

salt and pepper

1 jar of sandwich sliced pickles (Like these HERE)

Directions

Drain the pickles juice from the jar of pickles and lay the slices onto paper towel to dry most of the liquid off. Lay another layer of paper towel on top. 

While they are drying - beat together the cream cheese, garlic, jalapeno, bacon, cheese, and salt & pepper to taste until well mixed. 

Spread about half a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture onto each pickle slice.

Roll up and press lightly to get to stick.

*Boom* Done. 

You can cover and refrigerate until ready to serve or serve immediately. 

This is a pretty easy recipe to change up to suit your preferences. Like more garlic? Use more garlic. Like more heat? Use more jalapeno, you could even add a sprinkle of hot sauce in there. 

Don't feel like rolling up the pickles because it's too messy? Spread the cream cheese in a dish and top with finely chopped pickles and make it into a dip for baguettes or crackers. You could even heat it up if you wanted to. 

Jalapeno Popper Garlic Pickle Rolls are great for Christmas, New Years, game night, girl's night.... anytime you need an appie that won't break the bank or take forever. 

Need a cute, reusable serving tray for your appies? These ones are cute and affordable - Link HERE.

Garlic Pickle Turnovers

 

Sometimes the best recipes come together because of what you happened to have available in your fridge.

My niece loves pickles and wanted something to eat that was pickley. I searched through my freezer and fridge and found the ingredients to make these bad boys. Guys!! They turned out so well and are so easy to make. I made 6 large ones but you could easily make them any size you like! 

If you like garlic, pickles, and puff pastry then have we got the best treat for you!

Garlic Pickle Turnovers

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1 8 oz brick cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp pickle juice (from pickle jar)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried dill

salt and pepper

1/4 cup red onion, diced

5 - 6 pickles, sliced

1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

pinch of dried dill for sprinkling on top

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

Place puff pastry on flat work surface. Cut into 6 equal squares. Brush around the corner of each square with the beaten egg. 

In a bowl, beat together cream cheese, pickle juice, garlic, garlic powder, dill, salt and pepper. Spread a generous spoonful into the center of each pastry square. Top with some red onion and pickle slices. (See photo below)

Repeat with remaining ingredients. DO NOT OVERFILL! You may have some of the cream cheese mixture leftover. Save it for another purpose. 

Fold the puff pastry into a triangle and press edges together with a fork so they are well sealed. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with a little dried dill. Poke a hole in the top of the triangles with the fork for steam to escape. 

Bake at 400 until pastry is golden brown and crispy and bottoms are brown - about 15-20 minutes total. I turn the cookie sheet at 10 minutes to make sure they cook evenly. 

You want them to be golden brown all over. If they are still a little pale then leave them in longer. 

These are best served warm but can be frozen and then reheated in the oven or air fryer. You could do microwave but then they will be a bit soggy and not crispy. 

Soooo ooey gooey good. Garlic and pickle and cream cheese is one of the best combos IMO. You definitely have a lot of wiggle room to change the recipe if you prefer. More onion, less pickles, more garlic, less dill..... measurements listed here are approximate so have fun finding out your favorite way to make them! Throw in some bacon and *boom* even better. 

Garlic Pickle Pizza

If you love pizza and pickles then have we got the recipe for you!

To be fair, I don't really love pickles but they go really well on this pizza. You start with a garlic sauce instead of tomato based so it's deliciously different. The recipe, as written makes 2 large pizzas. 

I cut the second into slices and individually wrapped and froze them. Just pop them in the microwave for a minute or two and they are a great, quick lunch/snack. 

Bring this to your next get together and impress your friends!

Garlic Pickle Pizza

Ingredients

Garlic Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayo

1 tsp dried dill

1 Tbsp pickle juice

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp pepper

Pizza

2 (1 lb each) balls of pizza dough

(We double THIS RECIPE for dough)

1 jar sliced pickles (about 3 cups)

1/2 cup sliced onions

3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

1 tsp dried parsley (for garnish)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425. Lightly grease 2 large pizza pans (or line with parchment paper). You can also use one large cookie sheet or 4 - 8 inch pans. 

Prepare the garlic sauce by mixing the sour cream, mayo, dill, pickle juice, garlic powder, garlic, and pepper together well. Set side. (This can be made a day ahead if you want more intense flavor.) 

Press the pizza dough to the edges of the prepared pan. 

Spread half of the sauce on each pizza. 

Top with pickles, onions, mozza, parmesan. 

Bake at 425 for about 15 - 20 minutes, rotating once halfway. Top should be bubbly and brown. 

Cut into pieces and serve hot. 

You can use store bought pizza dough or make your own. Our recipe can be found HERE. (Just remember to double it)  You can even use pita shells, Pillsbury crust,  or tortillas as a base if you prefer. 

Garlic pickle pizza is super simple to whip up and freezes very well. 

There is no need to add extra salt as the pickle themselves are quiet salty. 

Our mom loves this and she is not a big pizza fan. She says it reminds her of a grilled cheese with pickles on it. FYI - do yourself a favor and make extra of the garlic sauce. It's delicious as a veggie dip or salad dressing! 

Ham Salad Sliders

Everyone needs a good ham salad recipe in their life. A way to turn leftover ham or even canned ham into the best sandwich filling EVER. 

Our recipe has been a family favorite forever and is super simple to whip up. Got ten minutes? Then you have time to make this ridiculously easy and delicious yet soon to be favorite recipe. 

We love these on our homemade Focaccia Slider Buns (Recipe HERE) but this filling is delicious on pretty much any bread or buns or even with veggies. 

Ham Salad Spread

Ingredients

2 cups ham, diced small (or 2 small cans)

1/4 cup onion, diced small

2 green onions, diced small

1 Tbsp prepared mustard

4 Tbsp mayo

salt & pepper

1 pickle, diced small

To make sliders

mayo

mustard

pickle slices

Directions

Place ham, onion, green onion, mustard, mayo, salt & pepper, and pickle in a bowl and stir to combine.

Divide mixture in half and place half in a blender or food processor. 

Process until smooth and creamy, scraping sides of blender as necessary. 

Add back to the bowl with the reserved ingredients. 

Stir together. Add in a little more mayo, if needed, to make sure it is nice and creamy. 

Spread a little more mustard and mayo onto the bread or buns you are using. Then top with ham spread. 

Place pickle slice in the sandwich OR on top of the bun for serving. 

Don't assemble the sandwiches until ready to serve. The pickle slice will make your bread soggy if it sits too long. The ham spread can be made up ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to use.

Ham salad is a great way to use up leftover ham after the holidays. Planning snacks for game day or kids after school snacks? Tired of egg salad or tuna salad? 

*Tah-Dah*

Problem solved. 

Keto Fried Fish Batter with Easy Tartar Sauce

 

You might have come to this recipe because of the word "keto" in the title but I have to tell you, whether keto or not, this is one of the best fried fish recipes EVER. 

So crispy and flavorful!

The homemade tartar sauce goes very well with it too so I recommend spending the extra few minutes and whipping it up! 

I have found a lot of gluten free batters are soft and never really get that crispiness I am looking for. Not so with this one though! You get a crunch that makes the fish inside seem even more tender! I used basa fillets but you could substitute your favorite fish no problem. 

Whether you are following a keto/gluten free eating plan or are just looking for an amazing fish batter - give this one a try! I Promise you won't regret it. 

Keto Fried Fish Batter

Ingredients

Tartar Sauce

1 cup mayo

1 Tbsp lemon juice + zest of half a lemon

1 pickle, chopped fine

1 Tbsp dried parsley

2 tsp dried dill

salt & pepper

Fish 

1 Tbsp powdered parmesan

2/3 cup almond flour

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried parsley

2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 eggs

1/3 cup sparkling water

6 - 8 pieces fish (boneless/skinless)

Oil for deep frying

Directions

Prepare tartar sauce - mix together the tartar sauce ingredients and chill until ready to use. Make up at least an hour ahead of time, up to a day ahead, so flavors have a chance to develop.

Prepare fish - Stir together the powdered parmesan, almond flour, garlic powder, parsley, baking powder, and cornstarch. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sparkling water. 

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just mixed. 

Pat the fish fillets dry.

Heat oil in a large pot to 350 degrees. 

Dip a piece of the fish into the batter, gently shake off any extra, and then carefully place in the heated oil. Cook 3 - 4 pieces at a time - do not crowd the pot or the oil temperature will drop too much. 

Cook about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown and fish is cooked through.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the fish from the oil and set on paper towel to absorb any excess oil. 

Serve with homemade tartar sauce.

Look at all that crispiness!

You can easily double or triple the recipe if you are feeding more people!

FYI - leftovers can be stored in the fridge but are best eaten within a day. The crispiness disappears the longer it sits. Reheat in a 350 oven for best results. Of course, you can microwave leftovers, but they will be a bit soggier. 

Cuban Sandwich

Sue and I eat a lot of sandwiches. Sandwiches are awesome. 

What is weird is that we haven't shared a lot of sandwiches on our blog. 

We definitely need to fix that. I'm going to start right now by sharing one of our favorites. A Cuban sandwich. You can make this on normal bread but if you want it to taste like a super de duper delicious Cuban sandwich then you need to make it on Cuban bread (pan cubano). Homemade bread is a little consuming but always worthwhile in the end! FYI - This is a great way to use up leftover pork roast. 

Cuban Sandwich

Pan Cubano

1 1/4 cup hot water

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

4 tsp sugar

3 cups flour

2 tsp salt

4 Tbsp lard (can use butter), melted

Sandwich

butter

yellow mustard

Swiss cheese

deli ham

pork roast 

pickle

Directions

Prepare bread - In a small bowl, whisk together water, yeast, and sugar. Let bloom for 5 minutes. 

In another bowl, put in flour, salt, and melted lard (or butter). Stir in the active yeast. 

Knead dough for 5 minutes, until smooth. Add in a little more flour if dough is too sticky. 

Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and place somewhere warm to rise for an hour. 

After dough has risen: punch down and divide into 6 logs. Let rest for 15 minutes. Then shape the pieces of dough into 8 inch logs with tapered ends. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with a clean tea towel, and let rise somewhere warm for another hour. 

After buns have risen: preheat oven to 375. Lightly spray the buns with water (or very gently brush water on with a basting brush) With a very sharp blade, place a slash down the center of each bun, leaving about an inch on each end not cut. 

Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes, until buns are golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Prepare sandwiches - Cut Cuban buns in half and place on work surface. 

Spread one half of each bun with butter. Then spread both halves generously with yellow mustard. 

Top both sides with a slice or two of Swiss cheese. Then layer on the ham, pork roast, and pickle.

Close sandwich and admire how beautiful it is. 

Now slather the top with a generous amount of butter. 

Place sandwich in tinfoil. I like to put a smear of butter under the sandwich as well. 

Wrap the sandwich in the tinfoil (see photo for clarification).

To cook the Cuban sandwich - heat BBQ grill to medium/low heat. Place wrapped sandwich on the grill and top with something heavy, like a cast iron skillet. Grill for 5 minutes. Flip sandwich over and repeat on other side for 5 minutes.

Unwrap the sandwich and grill for 2 - 3 more minutes on each side. 

If you do not have a grill - You can cook the sandwiches in a frying pan on the stove top. You do not need to wrap them in foil to do this. Simply get the stage where you cover the top and and bottom with butter, then place in a frying pan over medium/low heat. Place something heavy, like a cast iron skillet, on top and cook for about 5 minutes on each side. You want the cheese to be melted and the sandwich to be heated through. 

You can add more cheese if you want things gooier, of course. 

I didn't have a lot of pork roast leftover so I diced mine so it would go further. If you want to leave it in thin slices then that works great too. Even shredded pork roast is fabulous on a Cuban sandwich. 

Like a grilled cheese but a magic, otherworldly grilled cheese. 

I recommend making the bread up before you need it and freezing it. 

You can easily double the recipe for 12 buns instead of 6.