5 creative ways to use matzo

Matzo is a food staple every Passover, and many people also eat it throughout the year. There are many creative ways to use the flat, unleavened bread. For some creative ideas, check out the list below.

You may think delicious cereals are out of the question on Passover, but you can make a delicious granola using matzo. To make matzo granola, crush up three pieces of matzo. If you like something heartier or healthier, use whole wheat matzo.

Combine it with:
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup safflower oil
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 two tablespoons of honey
1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, then spread the mixture on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Be sure to stir several times while it's cooking to ensure all of it gets browned. If you like fruity granola, consider adding raisins or cranberries.

Forget bread crumbs this Passover. You can use crushed pieces of matzo to bread chicken breasts and make a delicious fried treat. Simply crush eight pieces of matzo in a big bowl, then add salt and pepper to taste. Beat an egg in a bowl, then dip a chicken breast into the egg, dredge in the matzo and fry in a pan of hot vegetable oil until cooked. Eight pieces of matzo should coat about four chicken cutlets.

Matzo is flat and crispy, so it's no surprise that it's a great substitute for the tortilla chips in nachos. A great way to make matzo nachos is to break four pieces of matzo into tortilla chip-sized pieces, then scatter them on a cookie sheet. Coat the matzo chips with cooking spray, then sprinkle on salt. Bake the chips at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes to get them crispy and browned. When they're done, take them out of the oven and top them with your favourite nacho toppings like black beans, chicken, jalapeno or ground beef, then turn the oven up to 400 degrees F and bake for about five to seven minutes. Enjoy!

A little known secret of matzo is that it becomes bendable when it's soaked in egg. Cut a few pieces of matzo in half,  and soak in a combination of one egg and two tablespoons of water. After five minutes, take the matzo out and wrap it around a kosher hot dog. Heat up some olive oil in a skillet and add the hot dog and matzo. Cook until the hot dog is heated through and the matzo is crisp and golden brown. For appetizer-sized portions, slice the one dog up into bite-sized pieces.

To make a sweet treat with matzo, all you need is butter, brown sugar and some chocolate chips.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and line as many matzo pieces as can fit on the sheet without overlapping. On the stove, mix two sticks of butter and one cup of sugar over medium heat, and allow the combination to boil. Make sure to stir while cooking so it doesn't burn or stick. Once it has boiled for three minutes, take it off the stove and pour it over the matzo.

Place the whole pan into the oven at 350 degrees F, and cook for about 12 minutes. Make sure to check it so it doesn't smoke or burn. Once done, pour about a cup of chocolate chips over the top and watch them melt. Finally, use a meat mallet to break the matzo into pieces and then put them in the freezer.