These Awesome Matzah Recipes Will Make You Forget It’s Passover
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Every year around Passover time, there’s always that one aisle in the grocery store packed with Manischewitz, stacks of macaroons and boxes upon boxes of matzah. Don’t be hesitant, the cracker-like food does’t have to be boring.
The whole gist of eating matzah on Passover is basically this: back in the biblical days, the Israelites were in such a hurry to leave Egypt that their bread didn’t have time to rise. When they baked the unleavened bread, which only consisted of flour and water, it became known as matzah. The Israelites relied on matzah for sustenance, so every year, Jews honor the struggles of their ancestors by eating this unleavened bread during Passover.
There’s a whole world of creative recipes out there when it comes to making the most out of matzah. After all, it’s really just a vehicle for everything else you want to eat. From matzah brei to matzah lasagna and chocolate matzah bark, these awesome recipes will make you forget it’s Passover. Rejoice, carb lovers!
Matzah Pizza
The trick with making matzah pizza is to keep an eye on it and just stay in the kitchen while it’s cooking. Spread any kind of tomato sauce over the piece of matzah, top it with red pepper flakes, any veggies you want, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan or any cheese you’re feeling and then bake it at 400 degrees right on the oven rack. Once the cheese melts, which usually takes around 5 to 7 minutes, remove the pizza from the oven and top it with a fresh garnish of basil or arugula. If you really want to get fancy, add a fried egg on top. If at any point you feel like the matzah is a little too dry, extra virgin olive oil is always a good choice. There’s no such thing as too much EVOO. Here’s the key: you can’t treat matzah pizza like regular bread. Don’t put it in the toaster oven and forget about it because it’ll burn faster than you can change into sweatpants.
Matzah Lasagna
Going with the theme of Italian-inspired Passover foods, matzah lasagna is always a winner. It might seem like a challenge to stack these crisp sheets of matzah, but the sauce will soften them right up. You’ll probably want to make this dish all year round. Preheat the oven to 350 or 400 degrees and grease the bottom of the pan with olive oil. You can go a few ways here, it all depends on your mood. Soak 3 sheets of matzah in warm water for about 30 seconds and then shake off the excess water. If you’re feeling like red sauce, add a layer of tomato sauce to the pan, then a layer of matzah, 1/3 of all your cheeses (mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta), more sauce and then repeat these layers two more times. Cover it with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover the dish and bake it until the top turns a golden brown color. You could also go the spinach lasagna route and layer with a ricotta mixture (eggs, ricotta, half-and-half, parmesan, lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, pepper) and a kale and lemon juice mixture.
Matzah Bark
You’ve been warned, matzah bark is insanely addictive. There are so many ways you can play around with matzah bark once you get the base of the recipe down pat. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Spread out the matzah to cover the whole pan and then heat 1 cup of brown sugar and 2 sticks of butter over medium-high heat for about 4 to 5 minutes. Spread this mixture evenly over the matzah and bake it for about 15 minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn. Remove the pan from the oven and add your toppings like chocolate (let this sit for a few minutes and then spread evenly), toffee, caramel, sea salt, shredded coconut and nuts. Refrigerate the matzah for about 10 minutes and the break into pieces and serve.
Matzah Tiramisu
YES. MATZAH TIRAMISU. You can replace the lady fingers with matzah and keep everything else the same. (Here’s how to make the traditional dessert.) The matzah will soak up the rum, chocolate and cream and the result is so decadent you’ll want to make this recipe all of the time. It’s a little lighter than regular tiramisu since lady fingers are usually super dense. The combination of creamy mascarpone cheese, espresso, Kahlúa liquor and chocolate is unbeatable. Sub in your go-to tiramisu recipe and you’ll still get to enjoy your favorite Italian dessert during Passover.
Matzah Brei
Think of matzah brei as basically a scramble. At its core, the dish is really just a mixture of matzah and fried eggs, but every Jewish family has a different take on the traditional recipe and there are an infinite amount of ways to take this Passover breakfast food to the next level. You start by breaking pieces of matzah into a bowl, then you soften the matzah with either water or milk, drain the excess liquid, mix in the raw scrambled eggs (and any other spices or ingredients) and then fry it up. Use butter or coconut oil if it’s going to be a sweet creation and olive oil if you’re looking for more of a savory dish. How about adding some cocoa powder, pecans and bananas or maybe apples, almond butter and cinnamon? For a savory version, caramelize some onions and mushrooms and top off the matzah brei with a little goat cheese.
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