How about you guys, do you use Italian Seasoning? Are you up for a fresh, homemade version, something that can become not just Italian Seasoning, but your own signature blend? I love mixing up my Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend to have on hand to jhuzz up so many things.
Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend
Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend is made from basic ingredients that you probably have right in your pantry and takes just a few minutes to toss together. I think you are probably going to want to make up a batch of Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend and keep it on hand.
About Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend:
I don’t know about you guys, but there are two ways I usually cook Italian:
- I find a marvelous recipe and really do it right – sometimes one of the many fresh, quick Italian recipes, or other times a fabulous slow-simmered masterpiece. Recipes like those usually call for specific spices and herbs.
- Other times, I throw together a quick dinner with a nod and a promise: making chicken cutlets, doctoring (or making a quick fresh) tomato sauce or otherwise trying to get dinner on the table in a jiffy!
I do the latter more than you’d think, for someone who has a blog full of recipes! But I love to have my Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend on hand when I want to add some of that Italian flair but only have minutes to get something on the table.
I’m sure it’s saved lives, like the lives of my folks who are going to seemingly expire right before my eyes if they don’t eat at 5:00 on the dot! They start circling like hungry sharks around 4:30 or so, so it’s a big deal if dinner is late. Since they love Italian, I use this seasoning blend a lot. I even use it to “doctor up” a jarred sauce every now and then.
I learned something interesting when I posted this. According to Wikipedia (take that with a grain of salt or maybe a dash of oregano) that in Italy the only place Italian Seasoning is to be found is in the American markets. Hmm…maybe everyone has more time over there (or is more conscious of local heritage recipes.) I love that we’re a melting pot of people and food!
Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend
Making Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend:
This Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend is the one I use often, and it has pretty much the whole gamut of Italian flavors. Feel free, of course, to customize this to your own taste! If ya want, you can add a bit of dried lemon peel or use some lemon pepper to this recipe. A few dried bell pepper flakes or a touch of fennel are other herbs sometimes used in Italian Seasonings. And of course, you can fiddle with the proportions of herbs, too. Notice there is no salt in the blend, so you can add as much or as little salt as you’d like to in your recipe.
I know there are quite a few herbs and spices in this blend, so if you use Italian Seasoning often, feel free to multiply out for as much as you’d like so you have enough to keep on hand for a while and won’t have to measure it out as often.
I always suggest you try a smaller amount, though, to start, just to make sure you love it as much as I do. From there, tinker a bit if you want. Maybe you’re a real garlic person – add more. Or maybe you’re a spicy tomato! (My Dad said that when we were watching a movie with a sultry woman in it. “She’s a real spicy tomato.” It just popped into my head as I was writing this lol!) If you are, add more red pepper flakes. Make it your own.
Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend
Using Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend:
In addition to the few ideas above, use Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend over chicken, pork or in or on other meats. Add to a pizza sauce or just sprinkle a little over pizza, especially a frozen or “dull” carryout pizza. Jazz up spaghetti sauces, like my Pan Roasted Cherry Tomatoes (or oven-roasted ones) or as I mentioned any old dull, boring jarred sauce with this seasoning.
I use this in my recipe I call “Chicken Italiano” a simple one-pan dish that’s a standard at our house when I’m in a hurry. Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend is great in Chicken Parmesan, too. Don’t forget to add a bit to a frittata, especially ones using tomatoes or zucchini. Or maybe you’d like to sprinkle some over your garlic toast?
An Italian Spice blend like this is a lifesaver to have around when you’re in a hurry to dress a salad. Sprinkle some over greens mixed with cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. or make a quickie Italian Dressing that’s going to blow away any store-bought salad dressing! In a jar, add two tablespoons of Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend to 1/4 cup of vinegar (white wine, red wine or a combination) and 1/2 cup of olive oil (another oil may be used). Add a pinch of sugar or a drizzle of honey, if desired, and a teaspoon of Dijon will help emulsify. Place everything in a jar and shake until well blended. Improves as it sits.
Speaking of Salads & Dressings, I love tossing my Tortellini Antipasto Salad in a highly concentrated homemade dressing made with my Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend. It’s pretty amazing and so much more flavorful than using a bottled dressing. Now that’s a fully loaded, flavorful salad that everybody will want to eat! You won’t be tossing any leftovers because there won’t be any.
There is a myriad of ways to use Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend, and I’ve only scratched the surface! Let’s just say it’s a handy thing to have around, especially when you don’t have the time or inclination to measure out a lot of ingredients and/or fresh ones aren’t available. When I use Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend in a recipe that has a lot of Italian spices, I just add up how many teaspoons of spices are in the recipe and substitute the same amount of my Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend.
If you’d like to see more of my spice & herb blends, check out Spice, Herb & Flavor Packet Substitutes. I’m always adding as I go along!
Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend
Homemade Italian Seasoning Blend
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: about 1/4 cup 1x
- Category: Spice Blend
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
If you routinely make recipes using fresh garlic and onion, omit garlic and onion powder. Notice there is no salt, add if you wish.
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
Mix all together. Gently shake before using as settling will occur. Use as you would any Italian Seasoning. Store in a tightly covered jar in a dark cupboard to preserve freshness.
If desired, add a bit of dried lemon or substitute lemon pepper for lemon, a few dried bell pepper flakes or a touch of fennel.
When using this, or any dried herbs, gently crush in the palm of your hand to help release the oils in the dried herbs before adding to recipe.
Keywords: Italian, Salad, Salad Dressings, Spice & Herb Blends.
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