Zero-Waste Sundae Upgrades

This is a sponsored post by Hudsonville, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible! 

If you enter my kitchen on any given week, there’s a small collection of “almosts.” A couple of strawberries past their peak; a banana that’s a little too spotty; the last handful of cereal; and broken pretzel bits at the bottom of the bag. 

Many people probably think of these things as scraps, easy to overlook and toss. But the more I’ve become mindful about food waste, the more I see them differently—not as leftovers, but as ingredients with potential.

My husband is very creative with turning anything and everything into an ice cream topping for a little late night, sweet treat. So as we approach Earth Day, I had this idea for “zero-waste sundae upgrades” in which I turn food scraps into ice cream toppings. These are meant to be flexible recipes designed to work with what is already in your kitchen.

For the base, I’m using Hudsonville’s new Dirt Cake ice cream. It is a delicious collab from two family-owned Midwest-based brands, Hudsonville Ice Cream and Albanese Confectionary. It is vanilla and chocolate pudding flavored ice cream with cream-filled chocolate cookies (the dirt!). And Albanese developed gummy worms that stay chewy even when frozen. It felt very appropriate for Earth Day and the perfect starting point for our zero-waste sundaes!

Salted Banana Caramel

Bananas that are covered in black spots aren't just good for bread. They are the perfect starting point for a rich and quick caramel sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 very ripe bananas
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

Directions

1. Blend bananas and heavy cream until smooth.
2. Add sugar to medium stainless steel saucepan.
3. Cook sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly with spatula. Sugar will clump before it eventually melts into an amber-colored liquid.
4. Once there are no clumps, slowly pour in banana cream mixture, whisking constantly.
5. Continue to whisk until the caramel thickens and becomes a rich, brown color.
6. Turn off heat and add vanilla extract and salt.
7. Pour into heat-resistant container and cool before using.

Pantry Clean-Out Crumble

I think this is my favorite topping because it’s never the same twice. This recipe is the best way to use up random bits of food in your pantry. Granola, chips, cereal, crackers, pretzels—you name it! 

When mixed with melted butter and toasted, it turns into a salty-sweet topping that adds so much texture to sundaes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cookies, cereal, pretzels, crackers or granola
• 2 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
• Optional: 1 Tablespoon granulated or brown sugar 

Directions

1. Crush snack mixture until pieces are slightly bigger than crumbs and mostly uniform in size
2. Stir in melted butter and optional sugar
3. Toast in skillet on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until mixture is golden
4. Cool until crisp

Strawberry Top Syrup

I have washed and prepped strawberries for snacks many times at my daughter’s preschool. I’m sure if you've been around toddlers, it comes as no surprise when I say the students don’t like to eat around the stems and leaves and ask for them to be cut off. That’s a lot of strawberry tops—and a lot of flavor—going to waste!

So instead of throwing away the tops, you can simmer them with water and sugar to create a delicate, lightly floral syrup.

Ingredients

• 2 cups strawberry tops (washed well)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water

Directions

1. Simmer everything for about 15 minutes, occasionally mashing strawberry tops to release the juices. 
2. Strain liquid from strawberry tops and return liquid to pot.
3. Simmer liquid until it thickens slightly, about 20 minutes.
4. Pour into heat-resistant container and cool before using.

Zero-Waste Sundae Assembly

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 scoops Hudsonville Dirt Cake ice cream
• Salted Banana Caramel
• Pantry Clean-Out Crumble
• Strawberry Top Syrup

Directions

1. Add a few scoops of Hudsonville Dirt Cake ice cream to a sundae bowl.
2. Drizzle a few spoonfuls of Salted Banana Caramel over ice cream.
3. Add one or two spoonfuls of Pantry Clean-Out Crumble on top.
4. Finish it off with a splash of Strawberry Top Syrup.

Scoop up Dirt Cake ice cream from Hudsonville Ice Cream at a grocery store near you! You can use their scoop locator tool to find it!

Spring Lamb Burgers with Herby Tahini Sauce

As the weather warms up and the first greens of spring start appearing at the market, my kitchen focus shifts toward brighter, fresher flavors. While we all love a classic beef burger, there is something uniquely "spring" about a lamb burger.

With Orthodox Easter falling on April 12 this year, lamb is on everyone’s mind. It is a traditional staple for Greek celebrations, but you don’t need a holiday to enjoy it. Lamb is a fantastic canvas for the herbs that are just starting to pop up, like mint, dill, and parsley.

Why lamb?

Lamb brings a deeper, slightly earthy flavor that stands up well to bold, fresh ingredients. While beef is a classic, lamb naturally leans into Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavor profiles, making it the perfect canvas for fresh herbs like mint, dill, and parsley.

When should I season the meat?

Avoid mixing salt into the ground meat before forming patties. Salt dissolves muscle proteins, which can give the burger a rubbery, sausage-like texture. For a tender, crumbly burger, always season the outside of the patty liberally right before it hits the heat.

How to prevent the burgers from shrinking

Ground meat contracts as it cooks. To ensure the patty fits the bun, form your patties about an inch wider than the bun itself. Also, I like to put the patties in the refrigerator about 15 to 30 minutes before cutting to solidify the fat so it doesn't spread as quickly.

How to prevent the burger from puffing up and looking like meatballs

Use your thumb to create a shallow indentation (a dimple) in the center of each raw patty. As the meat expands during cooking, the center will rise to meet the edges, resulting in a perfectly flat, even burger instead of a dome.

Internal temperature and doneness

Aim for 145–150 degrees Fahrenheit for medium-rare to medium (USDA recommends 160 degrees Fahrenheit for ground meats for safety, but many chefs stop cooking at 145 degrees knowing the temperature will continue to rise slightly off the heat). Rest burgers 10 minutes after cooking to redistribute juices.

The sauce that brings it all together

The real star of these burgers is the herby tahini sauce. It’s creamy, bright, and packed with fresh flavor from lemon and herbs. It balances the richness of the lamb and ties everything together.

Lamb burgers with herby tahini sauce

Yield: Makes 4 burgers

Time: About 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the burgers

• 2 pounds ground lamb 
• 1/4 red onion (around 3 ounces), finely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 4 teaspoons oregano, dried
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 buns or pitas

For the herby tahini sauce

• 2/3 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup (12 grams) fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup (12 grams) fresh mint leaves
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 green onions, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 Tablespoons lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

For the lamb burgers

1. Mix grated red onion, garlic, oregano and black pepper in large bowl. Add lamb to bowl and gently mix, handling as little as possible.
2. Form 4 (8-ounce) patties, and place the patties in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes.
3. Heat grill to around 500 degrees Fahrenheit. 
4. Remove patties from refrigerator and sprinkle salt over surface. 
5. Place patties on grill and cook 4 minutes on first side. Flip and cook another 4 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 145 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Remove burgers and let rest 10 minutes before serving.
7. Serve burgers with buns and herby tahini sauce.

For the herby tahini sauce

1. Mix all ingredients in high-powered blender. 
2. Add water 1 Tablespoon at a time if sauce is too thick.