Havarti Horseradish Fondue

I follow a lot of other food blogs. I think right now I subscribe to about 175 feeds… and the list keeps growing weekly. While there are so many dishes I see posted that look utterly fabulous, I never make those dishes at home. The reason is simple – I have hundreds of ideas/recipes/creations of my own that I want to make. Some I’m downright dying to share to be honest. But all that changed when I saw this recipe posted on Pinch My Salt.

I think I actually fell out of my chair when I read the words: Havarti Horseradish Fondue.

I love havarti. Horseradish is pretty awesome in my book. And fondue totally and completely kicks ass. I mean its freaking melted cheese you get to dip things in. And call it dinner! How can that NOT be a winner?

Anyway, the original recipe comes from Michael Symon from the Food Network. He suggests serving this with Rib Eye, but I’m going to tell you to not stop there. We paired it with a Rib Eye but also some grilled Portobello mushrooms and it was awesome on those too. And I’m pretty sure it would be great on chicken, or even an old boot.

Ok, I’m kidding on the last one.

I departed slightly from the recipe when making this at home, so I will link both Symon’s and Pinch my Salt’s recipes below.

Havarti Horseradish Fondue

*Serves 2- 4 as a dipper
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
- 8 oz havarti, grated – about 2 cups
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 2 teaspoons EV olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, squeezed dry*
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, snipped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
* I would suggest adding the horseradish little by little until you reach your desired flavor level.

Directions:

1. Over low heat in a medium sauce pan add EVOO, shallots, and garlic. Sauté for a minute or two until shallots are translucent. Add vinegar and reduce by half, stirring occasionally.

2. Add cream and let it reduce by half. This takes a looong time. About 25 -30 minutes for me. Stir occasionally.

3. Once cream is fully reduced, remove from heat and whisk in cheese slowly. Add horseradish (to taste) and chives. Add salt and pepper as needed.

4. Serve warm with your favorite grilled meat or vegetable.

Thoughts: This fondue is fantastic. It’s creamy from the havarti and has a nice kick from the horseradish. It would be perfect for a special occasion meal, or if you have a friend or two over for dinner that you want to impress. I will definitely be making this again.

Link Credits:
Pinch My Salt
Michael Symon
 

Smoked Gouda and Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

I dreamed this recipe up a few years ago and it is one of Brent’s favorites. Anytime I take it to a party it always goes over really well and I get asked for the recipe. Once there was someone was telling people that they weren’t any good. I overheard this and didn’t think much of it until Brent told me later that the guy asked for the recipe. Odd, right? He admitted to Brent that he was telling people they weren’t yummy because he didn’t want every one else to eat them.

It was kinda genius if you ask me.

Anyway, stuffed mushrooms do take a little bit of prep work, but they are worth it in the end. You can prep them up to a day in advance; just make sure you cover them before putting them in the fridge.

Smoked Gouda and Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

*Makes 45-55
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
- approx 32-40 oz of whole button mushrooms
- 1 lb bulk breakfast sausage, such as Jimmy Dean
- 12 oz smoked gouda
- 1.5 cups Italian bread crumbs
- 1.25 cups butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- cooking spray

Directions:

1. Break up and brown sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once done, drain well and place on a paper lined plate to cool. You want to omit as much grease as possible. Once cooled, give a rough chop to eliminate any huge pieces.

2. While sausage is cooking/cooling, de-stem mushrooms and wipe off excess dirt with a damp paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Also take this time to shred the gouda with a cheese grater.

3. When ready, combine sausage, cheese, butter, bread crumbs, and spices in a large bowl. Stir to incorporate. Next stuff each mushroom with a teaspoon to tablespoon amount of stuffing depending on size. It’s best to form a rough ball first and then form to make a dome on top of the mushroom. See the pictures below.

Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes with Mustard and Thyme

It would appear that roasted potato recipes are sought after rather frequently. I get a lot of hits from people looking for rosemary and garlic RRBP’s, a recipe I posted last year. Recently I had a small surplus of them in my house thanks to Brent making a southern dish that he likes. My New England roots don’t care for that dish too much, but I did want to make use of the leftover potatoes hanging around. So I checked the fridge to see what I had to work with and this recipe is the result.

Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes with Mustard and Thyme

*Serves 4
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
- 1 ½ lbs red bliss potatoes
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons course mustard, adjust to your taste preference
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Wash potatoes, pat dry, and cut into quarters. Toss in butter and 2 tablespoons of EVOO and place in a baking dish in a single layer. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes, giving a toss halfway through.

2. In a small bowl mix together mustard, thyme, white wine vinegar, and remaining olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside while potatoes roast.

French Bread Pizza #1

Recipe: Spinach and Mushroom French Bread Pizza with Sun dried Tomato Spread

Who didn’t love Stouffer’s French Bread Pizza as a kid? I’d venture to say very few didn’t like them. In the world of frozen pizza where there are hundreds to choose from, Stouffers is in my top three that I will enjoy from time to time. That being said, this idea came from a commercial I saw about a bajillion times on the Food Network for those sandwich thins. The idea sounded good to me, so I ran with it since I had nearly all the ingredients in my fridge that night anyway.

 Spinach and Mushroom French Bread Pizza

These pizzas would be great for a quick dinner, a weekend lunch or snack, or maybe some really big sports game that might be right around the corner…

*Serves 4 (as a meal)
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
- 1 long French loaf
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 3-4 sun dried tomatoes in oil, depending on size
- 1.5 teaspoons oil from sun dried tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- 2 cups mushrooms
- ¾ cup fresh mozzarella, cubed

Directions:

Southwestern Chicken Casserole

This is one of my favorite casseroles that I’ve come up with. There is just something so homey and delightful to me about a casserole. I make this one often because I usually have all or most of the ingredients on hand and it’s just so satisfying. This recipe is perfect for the day after you grill some chicken breasts. Just add an extra one and set it aside for the next night.

Southwestern Chicken Casserole

*Serves 2 generously
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
- 1lb potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 large chicken breast (or two small), grilled
- ½ cup salsa verde
- 1 bell pepper, sliced (any color)
- ½ small onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2/3 cup black bean dip (or refried beans)
- 1 cup canned red beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon season salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1/3 cup chopped scallion
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Oil or additional butter for sautéing
- Cooking spray
- Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Add your diced potatoes to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Allow potatoes to cook until just before being fork tender. Once done, remove from heat and drain well.

2. While potatoes are cooking sauté peppers and onions over medium heat in a couple of tablespoons of oil or butter for about 10 minutes or until vegetables soften. Once done remove from heat and set aside.