Daylily Recipe - Bajan Daylily Pie

While on vacation a few years ago in Barbados, we ate some local street food that was being served from a cart near our hotel. Actually, we ate it 3 nights in a row it was so good. Bajan Macaroni Pie is a macaroni and cheese concoction, slightly spicy and rich. This recipe is based on that dish, adding lots of unopened, fresh daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) buds to the mix for a fantastic baked pasta dish.


Bajan Daylily Pie                             makes 9" x 13" casserole dish

4 c. unopened daylily buds
8 oz. long tube shaped pasta (perciatelli works well), cooked
12 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 c. milk
2 eggs
7 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp garlic mustard-mustard, or dijon mustard
2 tsp. ground white pepper
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 c. chopped scallions
1 c. additional shredded cheddar cheese for the top
1/2 c. bread crumbs


1. Heat the oven to 375º F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.
2. Remove the tough stem ends from the daylily buds, and give them a quick 3 minute boil. Drain, and add to a large bowl with the cooked pasta and shredded cheddar cheese, tossing them together. Add to the casserole pan.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs, and add the ketchup, mustard and spices. Pour this mixture over the pasta and daylily buds. Add the additional cup of shredded cheese to the top, and sprinkle the bread crumbs over the cheese.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the eggs have set. Cool slightly before serving.