Spinach Casserole with Four Cheeses

 

If you’re looking for something different to serve for Thanksgiving, or for a holiday brunch, this easy, make-ahead casserole just might be the answer. It’s certainly more nutritious than popular favorites like green bean casserole or corn pudding, but despite the high nutritional value it’s not lacking in flavor. My guess is that if you make it once, it will soon become a family favorite. If you have a hard time moving away from the French fried onions, those bits of crispy deliciousness found atop green bean casserole, you can sprinkle some on top of this one before baking.Spinach Casserole with Four Cheeses

 3 large eggs, beaten

1 16-oz. container small curd cottage cheese

1 16-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 4-oz. container crumbled feta

½ c. shredded cheddar

½ c. shredded Parmesan

1 Melissa’s shallot, minced

¼ c. melted butter

⅛ tsp. garlic powder

⅛ t. freshly grated nutmeg

Freshly ground black pepper

Lemon wedges, if desired

 Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 1½-qt. casserole dish with PAM; set aside.

Place all ingredients into a large bowl, and mix with a wooden spoon until combined; transfer to prepared baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until the center is nearly set. If desired, sprinkle additional grated cheese on top during the last few minutes of baking, and bake until cheese has melted.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges. The freshly squeezed juice really brightens this dish.

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Bacon Mushroom Caps

 

These are wonderful appetizers, easy to make and delicious. I have served them both at brunches and cocktail parties with equal success, and I always get requests for the recipe. Recipients are continually surprised by one of the ingredients - corn chips!

 Bacon Mushroom Caps

40 medium button mushrooms

½ lb. bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

1 c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

½ c. butter, softened

½ c. finely crushed corn chips

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 T. finely chopped onion

1 T. dry red wine

 Remove stems from cleaned mushrooms; chop stems. Combine stems with remaining ingredients. Fill mushroom caps. Place an inch apart on baking sheets and broil 5 to 7 minutes until lightly browned and bubbly. Serve hot.

 

Crush corn chips very fine. I used an ice cream scoop.The recipe calls for Monterrey Jack, but I used Fontina.Cook bacon until well done and crispy, and then chop with a sharp knife.Stir ingredients together well. I cubed the butter in order to allow it to more quickly incorporate.Rolling the filling into loose ball shapes makes it easy to fill each cap.

These are a MUST TRY!

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Christmas Cheese Ball

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Back in the 70s, cheese balls were the thing. No matter the decade, I love them, always have. They were not, however, as full of flavor as the cheese ball concoctions of today. I was thinking about the red and green colors of Christmas, and came up with this one. Festive and delicious, it’s good with crackers, of course, but it’s also wonderful spread on slices of crisp apple, or in the crevices of celery. If you’re making social distancing appetizers, this cheese ball can be turned into four mini cheese balls for individual plates.

 Christmas Cheese Ball

1 large green onion
1 small clove garlic
⅓ c. Melissa’s dried cranberries

3 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled
Pinch cayenne
1 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch garlic salt

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
½ c. shredded white cheddar cheese

¼ c. chopped pecans, roasted
3 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled
½ t. dried parsley

Crackers, apples, or crudités, for serving

In the work bowl of your food processor, place first eight ingredients. Pulse until finely chopped. Empty mixture into a medium mixing bowl. With a hand mixer beat in cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Place roasted pecans, crumbled bacon, and dried parsley into a bowl. Stir together. Form the cheese mixture into a ball, and roll in the pecan/bacon/parsley mixture until covered. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

 

 

 

Creamed Pearl Onions with Spinach

Last week in my posting about how to peel pearl onions, I mentioned a delicious recipe for using them, promising that I'd share. Initially, I was reluctant to do so because, as does occasionally happen, the picture that I took of the finished dish did not turn out well. What can I say? It was Thanksgiving, I was frazzled, and it was dark and gloomy. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I can show you that it is here on the Thanksgiving dinner plate, and tell you that it is my own creation based upon a simple longing to add pearl onions to creamed spinach. Never before have I had people rave about an onion dish as they did about this one. 

Peel your onions and make the topping the day before; thaw the spinach overnight in the fridge and it goes together fairly quickly. You can also make it a day ahead of when you plan to bake it, but save the topping in a separate container and sprinkle over the top just prior to baking. It’s a wonderful holiday dish.

Creamed Pearl Onions with Spinach

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup flour
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon tablespoon kosher salt
Few gratings freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces Melissa’s Assorted Pearl Onions, blanched and peeled

Topping

1 cup panko

½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 1/2 Tbsp. melted butter

Preheat the oven to 425º F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium heat. Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and add the spinach to the sauce. Add Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Stir in pearl onions.

Meanwhile mix together topping ingredients.

Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle with topping. Bake until breadcrumbs are deep golden brown and cream is bubbling around the edges, 25–30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

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Silver Pennies Sunday

Melt In Your Mouth 
Two Cup Tuesday
Wow Us Wednesday
Full Plate Thursday

Foodie Friday & Everything Else

Weekend Blog Hop

Simple Saturdays

Saturday Sparks

Cherry Pie Coffeecake Bars

I’m not the biggest of pie fans, but I’ve always liked cherry pie, because of the cherries.  As a kid, I’d leave the crust and just scoop out the cherry deliciousness, much to my mother’s dismay.  She was known for her flaky crusts, you see, and I think this was somewhat of an insult.  When I saw a recipe for Cherry Pie Bars on the Recipe Critic’s blog, I knew they were in my future.  What I didn’t know is that I don’t own the 15”x10”x1” pan called for in the original recipe.  There was an option to make them in a 9”x13” pan, so that’s the path I took.  What I ended up with were not the bar cookies for which I’d hoped, but instead a moist and delicious cherry-filled coffee cake.  So I’ve renamed the recipe to suit the pan and end results.  I suspect this would look very pretty on a Christmas brunch buffet.

Cherry Pie Coffeecake Bars

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 Tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs and beat well.  Beat in extracts.

In a separate bowl combine flour and salt.  Add to the creamed mixture.  Mix until just combined.  Do not over mix.

Grease a 9”×13” pan.  Spread 3 cups batter along the bottom of the pan.  Top with pie filling and spread to the edges with an offset spatula.  Drop remaining batter in dollops on top of pie filling.

Bake for 35-42 minutes or until toothpick comes clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack.  Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over the top.

This post is linked to: 

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Tasty Tuesdays

Inspire Me Tuesday

Full Plate Thursday

Foodie Friday

Sugar and Spice

Sunday Sweeties

Gingerbread Cocoa

The wind is howling – boy is it! – temperatures have dropped, and snow is in the forecast.  In other words, it’s the perfect morning to hunker down, settle in, light the fire, and treat myself to a warming cup of Gingerbread Cocoa.  It’s easy to put together, and its spicy, gingery goodness is a great start to the impending busy day.

Gingerbread Cocoa

1 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup Hershey’s Special Dark unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 

½ gallon whole milk (for extra richness use Half ‘n Half; for a lighter version use 2%)

Mini marshmallows, for garnish

In a large saucepan, whisk together the first four ingredients until well blended.  Gradually whisk in milk and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 15-20 minutes or until warmed thoroughly.  Serve in mugs topped with mini marshmallows.

This post is linked to:

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Wow Us Wednesday

Foodie Friday

Sweets for a Saturday
Sugar and Spice

Seasonal Sunday