The vegetables can be anything and in any combination adding up to 1 cup. Hot or sweet peppers, onions, zucchini, squash, whole corn, whatever you like or have on-hand or leftover! The cheese can be any kind of cheese. You can also leave out the minced veggies and/or cheese and the recipe will still work just fine if you want them plain. If I add herbs or other seasonings, I like about a teaspoon. (More can overpower the flavor.)

Note: The sugar, salt, and pepper are to taste. Adjust to suit yourself.

Some of my favorite combinations include onions and dried crushed red peppers, minced hot peppers, and zucchini and squash. Other great combos are diced (drained) tomatoes, garlic, and basil, Italian seasonings and mozzarella, whole corn and peppers. And on and on. Every time you make them, they can be different and geared to suit the meal. Remember that hush puppies aren’t just for seafood! You can serve them with anything. They even make great appetizers, which is a good time to mix in finely chopped shrimp or ham or crumbled sausage.

To lower the fat, you can use skim or non-fat milk and that works just fine. You can also bake hush puppies using a mini-muffin pan. Just know you aren’t really making hush puppies when you do that–you’re pretty much making cornbread mini-muffins. When I make hush puppies, I want hush puppies–and that means fried in hot oil.

To make:

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well. Drop batter by spoonfuls into deep hot fat (approximately 375-degrees). I just use a big spoon and push off the dough with another spoon. You don’t need a lot of oil–about three inches of oil will do. Fry about 3 minutes (depending on size). They will sink to the bottom at first then pop up, fat and delicious. Get them out when they’re a nice golden color; drain.

Pop in your mouth. I like hush puppies dipped in ketchup, horseradish, Ranch dressing, melted butter, or nothing at all. Warning: These are really addictive. (Sorry!)

*Makes a dozen to a dozen and a half, depending on size. Double or triple the recipe if you’re having company.