How to grill freshly caught trout or other whole freshwater fish over an open campfire using a camp stove and foil. This recipe is an excerpt from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Dinner
Here’s what’s for dinner tonight! Inspired, easy and delicious dinner recipes from the Arizona-Mexico borderlands written and photographed by the Taste of Tucson and Yellowstone Cookbook author, Jackie Alpers.Â
Sonoran Mexican Chicken Adobo Braised with Coffee & Coconut
Chicken Adobo braised in strongly brewed coffee, coconut milk with yams. Even an average cup of coffee shines as a key ingredient in this dish. Finished with a creamy yogurt and coconut milk sauce served over rice. I highly recommend using Illyanna Maisonet’s Adobo spice blend from Burlap & Barrel. This recipe is an excerpt from my Unofficial Elf Cookbook.Â
Caldo de Queso Recipe: Sonoran Cheese and Potato Soup
Caldo de Queso is a Sonoran cheese and chunky potato soup with green chiles, onions, and tomatoes in a light broth. Recipe by Taste of Tucson cookbook author Jackie Alpers.
Jovie’s Unforgettable Christmas Eve Ramen
In the movie Elf, Jovie forgets her plain bowl of ramen to find Buddy the Elf. Here are simple add-ins to make packaged ramen unforgettable.
Sonoran-Style Carbonara with Mushrooms
Witchy carbonara made with black pasta, purple basil, and exotic mushrooms inspired the by the modern gothic visuals in Tim Burton’s television show, Wednesday.
Sardine Tacos
Sardine tacos with cabbage, red onion and mustard salsa on homemade blue corn tortillas by Sonoran cookbook author Jackie Alpers.
Sonoran Salisbury Steak Recipe with Mushroom Gravy and Polenta
Recipe for Sonoran Salisbury steak with rich mushroom gravy served over stone-milled polenta. A hearty Southwestern take on a classic comfort dish.
Spicy Cowboy Mac and Cheese
Spicy cowboy-style “gun barrel” mac & cheese recipe made with barrel-shaped penne pasta baked with blue cheese, Parmesan, gruyere, Irish Cheddar and cayenne chile – for a flavor explosion that will knock you off your feet.
How To Roast A Goose
Recipe for how to defrost and roast a whole goose, and shred the meat for tacos or sandwiches with step-by-step instructions.
Sonoran Green Chile Tamale Pie with Molé Cómodo
Sonoran-style vegetarian tamale pie recipe made with a creamy green chile and masa base and a rich, quick molé made with peanut butter, tahini, and cocoa.
Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls Baked in a Cast Iron Skillet
These dinner rolls which are baked and served in a cast iron skillet are right at home on the Dutton family table – a free bonus recipe from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Jackie Kashian’s Paprika Marinated Chicken Recipe
Recipe for Paprika Marinated Chicken. Comedian Jackie Kashian is funny on stage but her chicken recipe is no joke.
Salsa Chicken Lettuce Taco Wraps
Chicken slow-simmered in salsa, then shredded for serving in as a filling for tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, and is keto when served in lettuce cups.Â
Southwestern Chicken Fried Steak & Sausage Gravy & Mashed Potatoes
How to make the perfect chicken fried steak dinner – includes recipe links to my smoky mashed potatoes, sausage gravy, and garlic butter green beans. Fun fact!: The vintage plate shown in this photograph matches the one from Yellowstone that this meal was served to “Jimmy” on at the 6666 Ranch in Texas.
Pot Roast Braised in Irish Stout Beer
Pot roast with carrots and potatoes braised in Irish Stout beer is similar to recipes brought to the American West by Irish settlers. Inspired by the Yellowstone 1923 TV series. Use as the base for Cara Dutton’s Irish Pasties recipe.
Spicy Chicken Salad Lettuce Tacos
Mexican chicken salad tacos recipe served in lettuce wraps made with rotisserie chicken. Featured in the Glamour.com article, A Week of Delicious Chicken Recipes.
Topopo Salad Recipe: Tucson’s Famous Volcano Salad
The Topopo salad is Tucson, Arizona’s most unique regional salad. It’s is a visually stunning volcano of chopped lettuce and mixed vegetables piled high on a bean tostada. This monumental salad was first inspired by a volcano in Sonora, Mexico.
Chile Colorado Recipe: Easy Sonoran Style Beef in Red Chile Sauce
Cubed beef simmered in red chile sauce for enchiladas, tacos, tostadas, salads or burritos. From the Taste of Tucson Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Grilled Octopus Inspired by Yellowstone
Recipe for Mediterranean diet grilled octopus served with scallions, romaine and fresh tomatoes in a light citrus vinaigrette from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
“Meaner than Evil” Super Spicy BBQ Chicken Wings
Super spicy BBQ hot chicken wings recipe either grilled or made in the airfryer. Choose your own eating adventure with spice levels varying from hot to dangerously-hot.
Cara Dutton’s Butte Pasties
Traditionally made with leftover Sunday pot roast, Butte pasties are a beloved Montana via Ireland tradition to this day.Â
Sonoran Hot Dog Recipe: El Guero Canelo, James Beard Winner
Authentic Sonoran Hot Dogs recipe from El Guero Canelo Restaurant, winner of the James Beard American Classic award. This recipe was featured in Taste of Tucson: Sonoran-Style recipes inspired by the rich culture of Southern Arizona.
Sonoran Carne Asada Quesadillas
Sonoran carne asada, scallions, cheese and crunchy tortilla chips stuffed in quesadillas and re-grilled for more crunch. Many years ago, Ben Galaz owner of BK Tacos taught me how to make Sonoran carne and cebollas asada.
Old West Style Vegan Chili Recipe
Old West style spicy vegan chili recipe made with plant-based meat, black beans and mushrooms. Served with vegan shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.
Sonoran One-Pot Arroz Con Pollo
Arroz con pollo is one of the recipes most requested by locals from my Taste of Tucson cookbook and I’ve always found chicken and rice to be a comforting combo. This is a great make ahead recipe for workday lunches. At first glance El Pato salsa de chile fresco may look like pureed tomato sauce, but it’s got a medium spicy kick of heat that will convince you otherwise.
Sonoran-Style Mexican Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas
Sonoran-style Mexican shrimp ceviche tostadas with avocado and hot sauce on crunchy baked tostada shells.
Coctel de Camaron: Sonoran Mexican Shrimp Cocktail Recipe
This easy Sonoran style Mexican shrimp cocktail with crisp cucumber, creamy avocado, red onion and hot sauce is ready in about 5 minutes.
BLT Lettuce Wraps | The Perfect Summer Meal
Tomatoes are at their best, and something about the heat and humidity of the Arizona monsoon season makes me almost totally inert and immobile. This is about all I can muster dinner-wise, so I’m lucky that it’s fairly healthy… It turns out that mayo and bacon are better for us than expected, and my versions is also low-carb.
Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe: Sonoran Style
Flavorful Sonoran-style tortilla soup with rotisserie chicken, diced tomatoes, green chiles, crushed tortilla chips, diced avocado and crumbled Mexican cheese in a clear broth.
Vegan Sonoran-Mexican Chile Colorado Tostadas con Tofu
Crispy tofu adds just the right amount of heft and bite to Chile Colorado served on crunchy baked tostada shells.
Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe: Nachos Supreme Style
Roasted bell peppers stuffed with creamy nacho cheese, avocado, pickled jalapeños, black beans and crunchy tortilla chips.
Beef Patty Tacos Recipe
Teresa Matias told me that to help satisfy her children’s cries for burgers when buns weren’t handy, she would fold a hamburger patty into a tortilla and fry it. Topped with cheese, lettuce, and tomato, it later became a regular menu item at her restaurant, Teresa’s Mosaic Cafe. Apparently, a lot of moms had the same experience, because the beef patty taco has been standard restaurant fare around southern Arizona since at least the mid-1970s.
Chicken Molé Amarillo
Nuttier and less sweet than its chocolate based cousin, this version of Molé Amarillo is the personal creation of Chef Suzana Davila of Tucson’s Cafe Poca Cosa. She specializes in these complex sauces, and her recipes are longtime local favorites which is one reason why I wanted to feature the recipe in my upcoming cookbook Taste of Tucson: Sonoran Style Recipes Inspired by the Rich Culture of Southern Arizona. Serve this dish with tortillas and a pretty, salad, as Suzana would.Â
Molé Marinated Grilled Chicken
Sonoran-style grilled chicken made with sweet Hungarian smoked paprika mixed with hot New Mexico chili pepper, unsweetened chocolate (inspired by molés), and red wine.
How to Grill The Perfect Cowboy Steak
Making authentic cowboy steaks is really easy. When I asked Bryan Keith, the Grill Master from Pinnacle Peak Steak House if he had any additional tips he said, “Put some love in it!”
Tuna Noodle Casserole: A Flavor-Packed Healthy Recipe
A modern, flavor-packed, one-pot tuna noodle casserole recipe made with healthy ingredients.
Sonoran Marinated Flank Steak
I marinated myself a flank steak using my mom’s recipe from the 80s, adding in some Mexican oregano and extra citrus to #sonoranize it a bit so now it’s an Ohio meets Tucson recipe.
Lasagna Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe
Get the secret to how to make a perfectly melty grilled cheese sandwich with my recipe for a n oven-baked Parmesan crusted grilled cheese sandwich that tastes like lasagna.Â
Sonoran Street Corn Hot Dogs (Elote Hot Dogs)
I’m pretty sure I invented the Elote Dog when I first developed this recipe for The Food Network in 2018. Since then Elote Hot Dogs, inspired by Sonoran-Mexican Street Corn have become a sensation with hot dog enthusiasts all over the word coming up with their own version. Here’s my recipe for hot dogs topped with elote, mayo, lime and spices and served in a bolillo roll.
Quinoa Burrito Bowl Recipe with Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette
Healthy burrito bowl recipe with quinoa, black beans and avocado tossed in a chipotle lime vinaigrette dressing.
Three Sisters Masa Crust Pizza Recipe
Corn, beans and squash are three of the earliest domesticated crops grown by Native Americans in the Sonoran region. For this recipe, prepared corn masa, which is usually used to make tortillas or gorditas, is pressed into a cast iron skillet for the crust. If you’ve never tried tepary beans, this recipe is an excellent way to experiment with them, but you can substitute black beans instead if you want.
Quinoa, Tepary Bean and Egg Grain Bowl
Start your day with this Tucson Sonoran style power breakfast bowl. It’s high in protein, complex carbs and healthy fats.
Grilled Chicken with Parmesan and Sun-dried Tomatoes
This is a healthy and extremely flavorful way to dress up boneless skinless chicken breasts. Adding just a small amount of butter on top, and using grated parmesan for a garnish, keeps the fat and calories down.
Sweet and Spicy Sonoran-Style Grilled Chicken Wings
These Sonoran grilled chicken wings are more spicy-hot that sweet. The heat index will vary greatly from the chili flakes and bbq sauce used.
Crustless Southwestern Quiche With Five Kinds of Peppers
A simple and satisfying crustless quiche that has all 5 things to love; peppers (both hot & sweet), onions, Swiss, Gruyere, eggs, and cream.
Johnny Marzetti Three Ways
Three Johnny Marzetti recipes, including the original recipe for the pasta dish, low carb, and Paleo versions.
Fennel, Blue Cheese & Spanish Chorizo Mini Pizzas
Mini pizzas made with a herb and cheese crust and a combination of both hot and cold classic Italian toppings.
Cincinnati Turkey Chili (4-Way)
Cincinnati chili does not exist in Arizona, except for in a suspicious canned variety, so I went on quest and figured out how to cook it up myself.
Homemade Thin and Crispy Pizza
How to make a thin crust pizza at home using a non-stick 16″pizza tray with holes with a my step-by-step procedure for getting the dough almost paper thin. Video included. The pizza toppings are written in the ingredients section of the recipe below.
Classic Caesar Salad Recipe
Recipe for both the Caesar salad from the 1967 Joy of Cooking and a modified version of the recipe by Jackie Alpers.



























































