Fried Mozzarella Sticks

Baby Girl loves cheese sticks. She eats them as a snack almost every day after school. Or rather, she used to. One week I noticed the package in the fridge was still mostly full so I checked the expiration date. It was that weekend. Since the Super Bowl was coming up I figured I'd turn them into Fried Mozzarella Sticks and went searching for a recipe.

The key to any mozzarella stick recipe is to freeze the cheese sticks before you bake or fry them. I'm not sure why the recipe I used doesn't say to do that but it's an absolute MUST. The cheese will melt if it's anywhere close to room temperature. Heck, even mine frozen started to melt and ooze as they fried. So do not, under any circumstances, forget that step.

These were delicious, full of melty, gooey cheese. I only made 8 since it was just the three of us. SP and I each had three and Baby Girl devoured two. I'll definitely be making these again the next time we have cheese sticks that need to be used up.

Fried Mozzarella Sticks
Modified from Add a Pinch

24 mozzarella sticks
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 cup flour
3 cups panko
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
vegetable oil
pizza or marinara sauce, for dipping

The day before you plan to make these, place however many cheese sticks you want to eat into the freeze. Freeze them overnight. Do not skip this step!

The next day, prepare three separate bowls for dredging your mozzarella sticks. Whisk the buttermilk and the egg in one bowl. Put the flour in the second bowl. In the third bowl, combine the panko and the Italian seasoning.

Dip each cheese stick into the buttermilk, then into the flour, then back into the buttermilk and finally into the panko. Set aside on a sheet pan until all the cheese sticks have been coated.

Pour about 1 inch of oil into a 12-inch non-stick skillet. Heat over medium heat until the oil starts to shimmer. Add a few cheese sticks at a time, being careful not to crowd the pan. Use tongs to remove them as they turn golden brown.

Place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Serve warm with pizza or marinara sauce for dipping.

Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce for Vegetables

We all love pierogies but it had been ages since I'd served them for dinner. I always serve them with bacon and caramelized onions, with a big dollop of sour cream. And I always serve steamed broccoli on the side. This time I wanted to do something a little different with the broccoli. Enter this Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce for Vegetables.

This is the same sauce you'd make for mac and cheese. It's an easy sauce to make and was really good with the steamed broccoli. I thought the original recipe was a bit thick, so I've halved the butter and flour in the recipe below.

Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce for Vegetables
As seen on Iowa Girl Eats

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper
1 cup milk
1-1/2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for one minute.

Slowly whisk in milk then season with salt and pepper and switch to a wooden spoon. Stir and cook until thickened, about 4-5 minutes.

Turn off heat and add cheese. Stir until melted and smooth. Taste then season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.

Burgers with Brie, Caramelized Onions, Arugula and Garlic Mayo

I love a good burger, don't you? These Burgers with Brie, Caramelized Onions, Arugula and Garlic Mayo have been on my radar ever since Kate posted them. What's not to like about Brie and caramelized onions?

Sorry for yet another bad sandwich photo but you get the gist. These were delicious. SP mistakenly bought the "intense, earthy" Brie rather than our usual "nutty and buttery" Brie, so the cheese really shone through. Between that and the peppery arugula, we were glad for the sweetness of the caramelized onions.

Burgers with Brie, Caramelized Onions, Arugula and Garlic Mayo
As seen on Kate's Recipe Box

1 lb. ground chuck
Salt and pepper, to taste
Brie cheese
caramelized onions
arugula
garlic mayo
4 burger buns

Heat a grill to medium heat.

Divide the meat into 4 patties. Press an indentation in the center so they don't bulge while they cook. Season both sides liberally with salt and pepper.

Grill for 3 minutes on one side, then flip and grill for another 2 minutes. Remove to a plate, top each patty with some of the cheese and tent with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Serve the burgers on buns topped with caramelized onions, arugula and garlic mayo.

Broccoli Cheddar Risotto

I'm on a serious risotto kick these days. When one of the ladies on my cooking board sang the praises of this Broccoli-Cheddar Oven Risotto I couldn't wait to try it.



While I'm sure the oven method is easier, I prefer to cook risotto on the stove top because I have more control. The cooking method is the only change I made to the recipe.



We all loved this, even if I ended up with more broccoli than rice. The flavor was great and the rice was nice and creamy. I also like that this was an all-in-one starch and veggie side dish.

Broccoli Cheddar Risotto
Adapted from Food Network Magazine

4-6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 broccoli crowns, cut into small florets
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

Bring the chicken broth to a low simmer in a saucepan. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring every so often, until the broccoli is tender and browning in spots, about 15 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the skillet.

Melt 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in the now-empty skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat. Pour in the wine and cook until evaporated, about 1 minute.

Start adding the chicken broth one ladle-full at a time, letting it fully absorb before adding more. This process takes anywhere from 17-25 minutes.

Before you add the final ladle of broth, add the broccoli back in. Add the final ladle of broth and once it's absorbed, taste some of the rice to make sure it's cooked through. Turn off the heat and add the grated cheese and 2 tablespoons of butter. Adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Bacon, Brie, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato (BBLAT) Sandwiches

::Putting on my flame-retardant suit::

I'm not a fan of BLTs.

There, I said it. The simplicity just doesn't do it for me. I need more than bacon, lettuce and tomato to make a sandwich. In my mind, those are toppings. Add them to a burger or chicken sandwich and I'm a happy camper. But on their own, meh. SP, on the other hand, loves BLTs.

I think I've mentioned before that we always do a what's for dinner post on my cooking board and one night someone said they were having bacon, Brie, lettuce, avocado and tomato sandwiches - a gourmet twist on a traditional BLT. It sounded heavenly and a good way to compromise on dinner.

These sandwiches were amazing. I loved the Brie and avocado - both added a great creaminess to the sandwich. I still think a nice piece of chicken would have made these perfect but they were still great without it. I left the Brie off SP's sandwich (although Baby Girl insisted on having some on hers) and when I couldn't finish my sandwich he ate the last few bites of mine and decided he liked it better. Score!

The recipe below is really just an ingredient list since we all know how to make a sandwich. I can't wait to make these again the next time SP asks for BLTs.

Bacon, Brie, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato Sandwiches
For two sandwiches

4 slices bread, toasted
Mayo
8 slices bacon, cooked to desired doneness
4oz Brie, sliced
2 Romaine leaves
1/2 avocado, sliced
4 slices tomato

Spread some mayo on all four slices of bread. Layer on the bacon, Brie, lettuce, avocado and tomato. Cut in half and serve.

Chicken with Prosciutto, Brie, and Arugula

While making this week's meal plan I realized I had chicken in the freezer, a box of arugula in the crisper quickly going bad, and half a wheel of Brie. I'd had my eye on this recipe for Chicken with Prosciutto, Brie, and Arugula ever since Jaida posted it, so this seemed like the perfect time to make it.

This isn't a complicated recipe but I was happy I chose to make it on a weekend instead of a weeknight. I always get flustered breading and frying chicken so I prefer to take my time and do it right rather than rushing. As you can see, patience is a virtue and I got a nice, crispy crust on the cutlets. Delicious.

The slightly-melted Brie and prosciutto combined with the tang from the arugula dressing was divine. This will definitely be going on my 2013 roundup at the end of this year. I was peeved at myself for only making two chicken breasts (and one was so teeny tiny it barely counts as a full breast). SP was also peeved - he ate both his pieces for dinner so he didn't get any leftovers for lunch. I cut Baby Girl's chicken into nuggets, which she devoured along with the crispy potato wedges I served alongside.

Chicken Cutlets with Prosciutto, Brie, and Arugula
Bobby Flay, as seen on Sweet Beginnings

Arugula Salad
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb baby arugula, rinsed and spun dry

Chicken
1 cup flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 (6 oz) boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/4 lb Brie, rind removed, sliced
8 thin slices Virginia ham or prosciutto

Prepare Arugula Salad: In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified. Add the arugula and toss to coat the leaves with the vinaigrette. Set aside while you prepare the chicken.

Place flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in three separate shallow bowls and season each with salt and pepper. Place a wire baking rack over a baking sheet; set aside.

Place each chicken breast between two pieces of waxed paper (or a freezer-style plastic bag) and pound to 1/4-inch thickness. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, and dredge each breast in the flour; tap off excess. Dip into the egg wash and let excess drip off, and then dredge on both side in the breadcrumbs. Place on a baking rack set over a baking sheet.

Preheat two large nonstick sauté pans over high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil to each pan and heat until the butter is melted and sizzling. Place 2 breasts in each pan and cook until golden brown on the first side, using tongs flip over and continue cooking until golden brown on the second side and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes total.

Remove to a plate and immediately top each breast with a few slices of Brie, then top with a few slices of prosciutto and some of the arugula salad. Serve immediately.

Baguette with Prosciutto, Gorgonzola and Fig Jam

Right before the holidays a friend posted on Facebook about a recipe for Baguette with Prosciutto, Gorgonzola and Fig Jam. It sounded divine and I immediately planned my New Year's Eve menu around it.

I only made about a quarter of the baguette because it was just SP and I eating these (Baby Girl licked all the fig jam off her slice - she turned her nose up at the gorgonzola and tried the prosciutto but claimed she didn't like it). The recipe below is my best guess at how much of everything you'll need for a full baguette.

I used gorgonzola (and only a little bit at that) but the flavor was still a bit too pungent for me. Soña recommended layering the fig jam and cheese together to help cut the flavor a bit so that's how I wrote the recipe below. I also think Brie would be excellent. Good thing I have 3/4 of a jar of jam left. Have you tried fig jam? I hadn't before making this and it was great!

Baguette with Prosciutto, Gorgonzola and Fig Jam
Recipe from Soña

1 French baguette
1 small jar fig jam
8oz blue cheese
12-16oz prosciutto, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (or preheat the broiler).

Slice the baguette into 1/2"-thick slices, on a slight bias. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and toast briefly, until just starting to brown. Remove from the oven.

Top each slice with a small amount of fig jam. Add some blue cheese then a slice of prosciutto.

Return to the oven (or broiler) and heat until the cheese melts and the prosciutto starts to crisp.

Serve immediately.

Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Brie and Bacon

Pork tenderloin is so cheap at our supermarket that buying it is a no-brainer. A woman on my cooking board recently made this Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Smoked Gouda and Bacon and highly recommended it, so I figured I'd give it a try, swapping the Gouda for Brie since I had half a wheel leftover from Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately I didn't secure the tenderloin tightly enough and most of the cheese leaked out as it melted, which was a huge bummer. The few pieces with cheese were delicious and it did mix with some of the bacon, but I'd been hoping for more cheesy goodness inside the rolled-up pork. Next time (and there will be a next time) I'll need to be more careful. This was delicious even with the missing cheese. You can't go wrong with bacon.

Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Brie and Bacon
As seen on Elly Says Opa!

1 (about 1 lb.) pork tenderloin
1/4 lb. bacon, chopped
3 oz. Brie, rind removed, cut into cubes
Fresh or dried parsley, to taste
Fresh or dried sage, to taste
Salt and pepper
Olive oil (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375.

Cook the chopped bacon in a skillet and remove with a slotted spoon. Reserve bacon fat.

Butterfly pork tenderloin and pound slightly to thin it out. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, sage and parsley. Top with the Brie and the cooked bacon.

Starting at one end, roll the pork tenderloin up end to end (or tri-fold it, like you would a letter). Secure with kitchen twine or toothpicks.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on the rolled up tenderloin and roast it in the oven for 50-60 minutes until the internal temperature is 140 degrees. OR Rub the tenderloin with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Sear it in a hot pan to brown on all sides, and then put it in the oven to finish cooking, 30-40 minutes. OR Sprinkle salt and pepper on the rolled up tenderloin and sear it in the reserved bacon fat to brown on all sides, and then move the skillet to the oven to finish cooking, 30-40 minutes.

After you remove the tenderloin from the oven, put it under a foil tent to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing it.

Baked Brie in Mini Phyllo Cups with Strawberry Jam

I love baked brie. There's a restaurant near my house that serves a slice of baked brie topped with raspberry jam, slivered almonds and a brown sugar glaze. I knew I wanted to try making some sort of baked brie for Thanksgiving but I wanted it to be easier to eat.

There are hundreds of recipes out there so this is basically a method, not a recipe. I had to leave out the almonds because of Baby Girl's nut allergy and since I already had strawberry jam open I used that instead of raspberry. I added a pinch of brown sugar to each cup for that added sweetness. These were delicious and so simple to make.

Baked Brie in Mini Phyllo Cups with Strawberry Jam
Makes 24 cups

2 boxes mini phyllo cups
6oz Brie, rind removed, cut into 24 cubes
Fruit jam of your choice
Brown sugar
Sliced almonds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Remove phyllo cups from their packaging and place on a baking sheet. Add one piece of Brie into each phyllo cup. Top the cheese with some of the jam and sprinkle with brown sugar. Top with sliced almonds, if using.

Bake for 5-8 minutes until the cheese is melted and the cups start to brown. Serve warm.

Foodbuzz Tastemaker: Cheese Quesadillas

When I was pregnant with Baby Girl we went to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants for dinner. As you may know, pregnant woman aren't supposed to eat unpasteurized cheese. Not knowing much about Mexican cheeses, I asked our server what kind of cheese they used in their quesadillas. Imagine my surprise when he said American cheese. Obviously that's not very authentic, but I can see why they do it. American cheese has a nice mild flavor and melts beautifully.

When I was selected for the Kraft Singles Foodbuzz Tastemaker program I knew exactly what I wanted to make - quesadillas. I've been meaning to try American cheese ever since that night at the Mexican restaurant (almost 3 years ago - how is that possible!?) Baby Girl absolutely loves American cheese. She asks for a slice every day when we get home from daycare. And she's never met a carb she doesn't like. Quesadillas are a big hit in our house and something I should make more often, given their versatility and ease.


One of the things I loved about making these quesadillas was how easy they were. No cheese to shred saves time. I was able to make 4 quesadillas in a matter of minutes. They were cheesy and delicious, with a nice, mild flavor. Baby Girl likes hers plain but I had mine with diced tomato, diced avocado and sour cream.


I will absolutely make quesadillas with American cheese again. I love a good plain cheese quesadilla but the possibilities are endless in terms of fillings. A big thanks to Foodbuzz and Kraft for this opportunity. Baby Girl sends her thanks as well because she gets to eat the remaining cheese as an afternoon snack.

Simple Cheese Quesadilla

Cooking spray
4 flour tortillas
4 slices American cheese, such as Kraft Singles

Spray a griddle or large, non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Toast one tortilla on both sides, then lay one slice of cheese, torn into pieces to fit, on half the tortilla. Fold the over half of the tortilla over to cover the cheese. Turn the heat down to low and flip the tortilla as needed to melt the cheese without burning the tortilla. Cut each quesadilla into three wedges. Serve with whatever toppings you like - sour cream, pico de gallo, avocado, lime wedges, etc.

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a coupon for free Kraft Singles and a stipend.