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.
Recipes | Jackie Alpers
Coffee Braised Chicken Adobo
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.
Matzalbondigas: Albondigas Matzo Ball Soup
Albondigas soup made with matzo balls. Two popular soups together as one – a Jewish-deli Sonoran-Mexican combination.
Campfire Coffee
How to brew a pot of coffee over a campfire with a special ingredient… eggshells! From the Arizona-Mexico borderlands cookbook author Jackie Alpers.
Sonoran Caldo de Queso
Caldo de Queso, is a Sonora-style cheese and potato soup with green chiles, onions, and tomatoes in a light broth. Recipe by Taste of Tucson cookbook author Jackie Alpers.
“The Kringle 3000” Hot Dogs Inspired by Elf
Inspired by the engine that fuels Santa’s sled on Christmas Eve in the movie Elf. Red Snapper hot dogs, bright green relish, sport peppers and yellow mustard.
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.
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.
Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
Recipe for the best salisbury steak in Montana according to Yellowstone’s John Dutton. Served over polenta with mushroom gravy.
Cast Iron Roasted Mushrooms
Recipe for oven roasted mushrooms cooked in a cast iron skillet from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Gun Barrel Mac and Cheese
This cowboy inspired macaroni and cheese recipe from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook is famous for its cylindrical shape and ability to pack a real wallop.
Deli Bento Box Lunches
3 Mixed Up Deli Bento Box Lunches using scallion ranch cream cheese spread; Deli Cold Cut Tacos, DIY Macaroni Salad, and Deli Stuffed Mini Peppers.
Masa Versus Cornmeal: What’s the Difference?
What’s the difference between cornmeal and masa harina? How is masa used to make corn tortillas? Can cornmeal be used in tortillas? Get the answers and recipe for Sonoran corn tortillas from Taste of Tucson cookbook author Jackie Alpers.
Sonoran Mexican Chocolate Popcorn Treats
Sonoran-style no-bake Mexican chocolate popcorn treats made with pretzels, cashews, Sriracha sesame seeds, cinnamon and red chile spiced chocolate marshmallow cream Chile powder and cinnamon add some kick to these sweet and spicy no-bake Mexican chocolate popcorn and pretzel treats. Recipe developed for The Silicone Kitchen.
Sonoran Tortilla Pizza
Sonoran style thin and crispy tortilla-crust pizza with exotic mushrooms, lemon infused ricotta, garlic and parmesan from Taste of Tucson cookbook author Jackie Alpers.
Roast 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 Goose Tacos
Recipe for Sonoran-style goose tacos inspired by Peking Duck. These goose tacos are served on flour tortillas with hoisin sauce, salsa macha, cabbage, carrots and scallions. Food photography for this recipe is shortlisted for the 2025 World Food Photography Awards in the Food Influencer category.
Super Lucky Cowboy Caviar
You may know that eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s day brings good luck in the new year, but did you know that Cowboy caviar was invented in the 1940’s by Helen Corbitt, head chef at the Zodiac Room, at the flagship Neiman Marcus Department Store in Dallas, Texas? Cowboy Caviar is the perfect mix of simple cowboy taste and upscale living which is why I had to include my version of the recipe in The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook. Everyone knows the Dutton family needs all the luck they can get.
Mr. Narwhal Ice Cream Float Inspired by the Movie Elf
A frosty, blue ice cream float resembling Mr. Narwhal in the classic Christmas movie, Elf. This recipe is from The Unofficial Elf Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Sonoran Tortilla Stars with Guacamole and Pomegranate Seeds
Topped with chunky guacamole and jewel-like pomegranate seeds, these crispy tortilla bites from The Unofficial Elf Cookbook by Jackie Alpers exude holiday joy. Use Jackie Alpers’ Sonoran-Style Chunky Guacamole Recipe or your favorite store-bought version.
Tamale Pie with Molé Cómodo
Christmastime is officially tamale season here in the Sonoran Desert, and according to my inside sources It’s also tamale season at the North Pole. This vegetarian recipe for green chile and cheese tamale pie with a quick-cooking Molé Cómodo is an excerpt from The Unofficial Elf Cookbook written with Buddy the Elf in mind. It’s a dish fit for any elf – slightly sweet and very chocolatey yet still appropriate for dinner for regular old humans.
Parmesan Ranch Macaroni Salad
A creamy parmesan ranch macaroni salad adorned with festive grape tomatoes and parsley. Recipe and food photography by Sonoran cookbook author Jackie Alpers
Homemade Chile Powder
How to dehydrate and grind chile peppers, with recipes for chili powder and custom spice blends using fresh homegrown and/or exotic store bought chiles. Preserve expensive and/or hard to find chiles.
Arizona Cheese Crisp
Tucson’s Sonoran style Mexican Arizona cheese crisp made with flour tortillas, roasted Hatch green chile strips and a creamy green chile Ranch salsa. Thank you Fry’s Foods for sponsoring this recipe.
Chunky Gazpacho
Cold gazpacho recipe with chunky fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions and peppers. The colors in the photo are a bit of an homage to Pedro Almodovar’s wonderful film, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), which was the inspiration for me making gazpacho for the very first time, years ago. (Minus the pills and drama.)
Baked Falafel Pitas
Recipe for a healthier, vegetarian falafel pita sandwich made with baked falafel, whole wheat pita, Greek yogurt, and lots of fresh veggies.
Paprika Marinated Chicken Inspired by Jackie Kashian
Recipe for Paprika Marinated Chicken. Comedian Jackie Kashian is funny on stage but her chicken recipe is no joke.
Linguine With Whole Canned Clams
A meaty yet lighter creamy, cheesy, linguine with white clam sauce made with whole canned clams, greek olives, and tomatoes.
Late Night Improv Snacking
This snack is best eaten very late at night, preferably after attending a party of some other festive gathering. It’s easily assembled and pleasant to look at, even when blurry.
Chipotle Lime Grilled Corn
Recipe for a lighter version chipotle lime grilled corn on the cob from the Sonoran Arizona-Mexico borderlands cookbook author Jackie Alpers
Lentil Cowboy Caviar
Sonoran Lentil Cowboy Caviar made with is made with lentils, chile peppers and red onion in a spicy citrus vinaigrette. It’s similar to Texas Caviar made with black eyed peas and the lentils do resemble fish eggs.
Buddy The Elf Spaghetti Recipe
After extensive research, I now know what Buddy The Elf really puts on his breakfast spaghetti in one of the memorable food scenes in the movie,”ELF.” This recipe is from The Unofficial “Elf” Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Spicy Sonoran Mexican Green Rice
Spicy, Sonoran-style Mexican green rice (arroz verde) recipe made with tomatillo salsa verde, peas and cilantro from the Taste of Tucson cookbook.
Spicy Sonoran Coleslaw
This crunchy, salty, and spicy no-mayo Thai/Mexican coleslaw is an excellent companion to Sonoran style dishes. It’s inspired by Som Tum (green papaya salad).
Salsa Chicken Tacos
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.
Chicken Fried Steak Dinner
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.
Watermelon Moonshine
Easy recipe for Watermelon Moonshine inspired by the Lainey Wilson song featured on Yellowstone. Made in a mason jar and served with lime to cut the burn.
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 Sonoran Salsa Verde
Recipe for Sonoran Style hot green tomatillo salsa developed by Patricia Schwabe for her restaurant Penca. From the Taste of Tucson Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Spicy Bourbon Whisky Cocktail
Bring the heat to your usual bourbon neat with “The Fire and the Fury Cocktail” a dramatic, hot and spicy whisky cowboy cocktail inspired by Yellowstone and served in the same glassware used in the Dutton family home. Get the recipe for this spicy bourbon whisky cocktail infused with lime and chiles served over ice.
Spicy Sonoran Chicken Salad
Southwestern chipotle chicken salad recipe utilizing all of the elements of a great chicken salad: something oniony, something crunchy, something pickled, and something a little bit spicy. This recipe is Paleo, low-carb and gluten free.
Beth Dutton’s Smoothie
How to make Beth Dutton’s famous “2 scoops of ice-cream, 3 shots of vodka” smoothie from the Yellowstone TV series from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Sonoran Charro Beans
Vegan recipe for the saucy, whole Sonoran-style pinto beans that you see cowboys (charros) eating in old Western movies, from the Taste of Tucson cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Sonoran Shrimp Topopo Salad
The topopo, Tucson’s most iconic salad is visually stunning. It’s made to look like volcano in Sonora with lettuce piled on a bean tostada and surrounded with grilled shrimp, Tajin dipped vegetables and cheese. It’s crowned with a green olive and a slice of tomato.
Sonoran-Style Red Pozole
This pork and hominy Pozole is a traditional “low-and-slow” braising recipe. It takes about 3½ hours to cook from start to finish because pork shoulder is a fatty cut of meat that takes a while to break down. But the pork fat is what gives this soup its richness. My Sonoran-style version of this dish is topped with lots of fresh vegetables and citrus.
Funeral Potatoes
A healthier recipe for the comforting cheese and hash brown potatoes casserole that’s covered in baked sour cream and cheddar potato chips, with a cowboy inspired spin from Yellowstone’s “train station.”
Bison Nachos
Bison are a seminal component of Western American history. The massive bison hunts of the 19th century resulted in their near extinction. With conservation efforts in place, the Yellowstone bison are considered the last truly wild herd of American plains bison in existence. Regenerative bison farms have reintroduced this healthy beef alternative into American food systems.
Chile Colorado con Carne
Cubed beef simmered in red chile sauce for enchiladas, tacos, tostadas, salads or burritos. From the Taste of Tucson Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.
Sonoran-Style Flat Enchiladas
Recipe for Enchiladas Sonorenses: Flat Sonoran-style enchiladas are unique to the desert Southwestern region surrounding the Tucson/Sonora, Mexico border are small corn masa pancakes covered in red enchilada sauce.
