Cheesy Grits

 Based on Amber Huffman's recipe in Food & Wine- April 2008

4 cups chicken broth

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup old fashioned grits

4 ounces shredded cheese, about 1 1/2 cups

4 T butter

2 T heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the garlic and slowly stir in the grits. Reduce heat and cook, stirring frequently until the grits are tender, 20 minutes. Remove saucepan from the heat and stir in the cheese, butter and cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Crepes

 Copied from America'sTest Kitchen

1/2 t neutral oil

1 cup all purpose flour

1 t sugar

1/4 t salt

1 1/2 cups whole milk

3 large eggs

2 t butter, melted and cooled

Toppings - Nutella, banana, strawberry, lemon, powdered sugar, jam and whipped cream. Savory toppings like ham, cheese or tomato and basil also work great. 

1. Heat the oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over low heat for at least 10 minutes

2. While the skillet is heating, whisk the flour, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. Add half of the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add the butter and whisk until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining milk mixture until smooth. 

3. Using a paper towel, wipe out the skillet, leaving a thin film of oil on the bottom and sides of the pan. Increase the heat to medium and let the skillet heat for 1 minute. After 1 minute test the heat of the skillet by placing 1 teaspoon of the batter in the center; cook for 20 seconds. If the mini crepe is golden brown on the bottom, the skillet is properly heated; if it is too light or too dark, adjust the heat accordingly and retest. 

3. Pour 1/4 - 1/3 cup of batter into the far side of the pan and tilt and shake gently until the batter evenly covers the bottom of the pan. Cook the crepe without moving until the top surface is dry and the edges are starting to brown, loosening the crepe from the side of the pan with a spatula, about 25 seconds to 1 minute. Gently slide the spatula underneath the edge of the crepe, grasp the edge with your fingertips and flip the crepe. (I just use the spatula) Cook until the second side is lightly spotted, about 30 seconds. Transfer the cooked crepe to a wire rack, inverting so the spotted side is facing up. Return the pan to the heat for about 10 seconds before repeating with the rest of the batter. 

4. Top the crepes with desired fillings, fold and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Rice Krispie Treats

From Sarah Peterson 

Ingredients:

¾ cup peanut butter

6 Tb salted butter

16 oz marshmallows (mini will melt faster)

7 ½ cups rice krispie cereal (off-brand works too)

18 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (milk chocolate will give a sweeter flavor)

Optional: ¼ cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

    Lay out a large (about 18” x 18”) square of aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Spray with cooking oil so that your treats won’t stick. Prepare chocolate- in a double boiler or a microwave, melt chocolate just until there are no leftover chips. For a richer flavor and a softer texture, add heavy whipping cream. Stir until combined. In a large pot over medium heat, melt peanut butter, butter, and marshmallows, stirring frequently. Once the mixture is smooth, remove from heat. Add cereal while the peanut butter mixture is still warm. Stir until there is no dry cereal left.  Pour rice krispie/peanut butter mixture over the aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Pat it down until it is completely flat and about ¾ inch thick (though you can make it thicker or thinner). It may help to spray the underside of a 13x9in pan and press down from the inside to make your rice krispies flat. Spread melted chocolate over your rice krispies in a thin layer.  Take one edge of the square and grab underneath the foil or plastic wrap. Lift up and let the edge curl in on itself. You may need to help it along by hand. Roll the rice krispies so that the cereal mixture is always on the outside, trapping the chocolate inside in a spiral. Be sure to complete this step while your mixture is still warm- it should be firm but pliable. If you wait too long, the rice krispies will crack instead of rolling. Wrap up your rolled rice krispies in the plastic wrap or foil. Leave your rice krispie log to set in the fridge for 1-2 hours. Once set, remove the log from the fridge and cut into ~¾ inch circles.

Chicken Broccoli Divan

 From Kit Hawkins

Ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup

2 cups rice or quinoa or brown rice (cooked)

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

1 package frozen broccoli or 2-3 fresh florets (steamed)

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar

3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs (optional)

Directions:

Layer the chicken and broccoli with some of the cheese in 9x13 pan prepared with cooking spray. Mix the cream of chicken with the rice. Spread on top of the broccoli and chicken. Sprinkle a final layer with the remaining cheese along with the breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, until warm and bubbly.

Pao de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread Rolls)

From ATK's "I Can't Believe It's Gluten-Free Cookbook"


Ingredients

2 cups tapioca starch
1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
2/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup olive oil
2 large eggs
2 tsp salt

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 24 cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the blender as needed. Pour batter (about 2 Tbsp per cup) into prepared tin. Bake rolls until puffed and lightly golden, 17-20 minutes. Let rolls cool slightly in the pan on a wire rack for about 3 minutes. Remove rolls from pan and serve warm.

Ultimate Green Bean Casserole

From Michelle Richards via Pinterest

            Ingredients

3 slices thick-cut bacon diced

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

2 cloves garlic minced

12 ounces fresh button or cremini mushrooms chopped

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound fresh green beans trimmed, halved, and blanched (boil 5 minutes, place beans in ice water for a couple of minutes, drain)

1 can quality French fried onions

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for another 4-5 minutes until the mushrooms are soft. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Melt the butter in the same skillet and whisk in the flour. Once combined, continue whisking for another 2 minutes until the mixture has slightly deepened in color. Add the half-and-half and chicken broth while constantly whisking to prevent lumps. Once slightly thickened, add the cheese and whisk until melted and combined. Next add the mushroom/bacon mixture along with the salt and pepper. Let the sauce simmer for a couple of minutes, then add the green beans. Stir to combine. Pour the bean mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish and sprinkle the French fried onions all over the top. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Note:
This dish can be made in advance, just leave off the onions. Before baking, top with onions.

Creamed-Corn Cornbread

A Pinterest Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 can creamed corn

1/2 cup shredded monterey jack or mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup flour

1 cup cornmeal

4 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan. Cream the butter and sugar together with a mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each. Add in the corn and cheeses, mix. In a seperate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients together. Incorporate into the wet ingredients gradually. Pour into the prepared pan and spread until evenly distributed. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the edges have browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.