Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes

I have to apologize for the lack of updates this past week.  My time has been occupied with a new kitten named Heidi.  She's extremely playful and needs constant affection and hates it when my husband and I use our laptops. :)  While typing this blog entry, she has jumped on my computer about seven times so far.  Anyways, I've had some free time this weekend and decided to try a new appetizer that I had bookmarked for the last few weeks.  I had a hard time finding some decent tomatoes at the grocery store, but this recipe turned out well and took very little time in preparing.  I cooked the tomatoes in the oven and by the time they were out of the oven, the cheese had melted perfectly and the tomatoes were so juicy with the skin ready to peal off.  Yum!

Source:  The Novice Chef

Ingredients:

4 medium tomatoes
1/4 cup of your favorite breadcrumbs
2 tbl butter, melted
8 basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Parsley for garnish

Directions:

Slice off top of tomato, hollow out (leaving 1/2 inch thick shell), and chop pulp and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, butter, basil, salt and pepper. Next stir in cheese and tomato pulp. Fill each tomato shell and then wrap each tomato individually in foil.

Grill, or bake (at 400 degrees) for 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese is completely melted. Garnish with parsley and serve hot!

Cheddar Double Stuffed Potatoes

One of my favorite appetizers to eat at a bar or restaurant are potato skins.  They are so yummy with a little sour cream and extra cheese.  Although this recipe was a little bit different than your basic potato skin recipe, it was so much better with the extra kick.  Definitely great for a party!

Source:  Joelen's Culinary Adventures, adapted from Rachel Ray

Ingredients:

2 large Russet potatoes, cleaned and pricked with a fork several times each
Drizzle olive oil or vegetable oil
2 slices center cut bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and coarse black pepper

Directions:
 
Preheat a small nonstick pan over medium high heat. Rub potatoes with a drizzle of oil. Place potatoes on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 12 minutes, rotating once.

While potatoes cook, add chopped bacon to hot skillet and brown until bits are crisp. Add scallions and cook scallions together with bacon 1 minute more. Transfer bacon bits and green onions to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Allow potatoes to cool enough to be handled, 5 minutes. Preheat broiler to high.

Cut potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh into a small bowl. Smash potato flesh together with sour cream until combined using a potato masher. Stir in 1 cup of cheddar cheese, bacon and scallions and season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Scoop filling back into potato skins, top with additional cheddar cheese and place on a cookie sheet. Place potatoes in oven and brown under broiler, 6 inches from heat for 5 minutes.

Cheddar and Cracker Chicken

I love Ritz crackers and I tend to eat them by themselves as a snack.  When I found this recipe online, I knew that it was right up my alley.  It really turned out well and it made a simple meal taste like it had taken a lot longer to prepare.  The only thing I would do differently and use smaller chicken breasts because even though I pounded the breasts until they were pretty thin, the cooking time still took a lot longer and the cheese was a little overcooked.  Still a really good meal!

Source:  Joelen's Culinary Adventures, adapted from Real Simple

Ingredients:

16 buttery crackers (such as Ritz), crushed (about 3⁄4 cup)
6 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1-2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Heat oven to 350° F. In a bowl, combine the crackers, cheese, garlic, scallions and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Pound the chicken to about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thickeness with a meat mallet. Dip the pounded chicken in the butter, then in the cracker mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle any remaining cracker mixture on the chicken and drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.  (Mine took almost 30)

Macaroni and Cheese

A few days ago at Thanksgiving, I had some really good homemade mac n' cheese. I had really forgotten about how much I enjoyed eating it as a comfort food so I decided to try making it at my own house. I liked the recipe because it allows you to decide what type of cheeses you want to use. If you have extra time, I recommend baking the macaroni in a pyrex dish topped with cheese and some breadcrumbs.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

4 c. dried macaroni
1/4 c. (1/2 stick or 4 tbsp.) butter
1/4 c. All-purpose flour
2 1/2 c. whole milk
2 tsp (heaping) dry mustard
1 egg
1 lb. cheese, grated (I used sharp cheddar, mild cheddar, and Colby Jack)
1/2 tsp. salt, more to taste
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt, more to taste
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:

Cook macaroni until very firm. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat the egg. Set aside. In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don't let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Read heat to low. Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the egg. Whisk together until smooth. Pour egg mixture into sauce, which constantly. Stir until smooth. Add in cheese and stir to melt. Add salts and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed. Do not undersalt!

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately or pour until a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

If you like to go to Red Lobster, you probably love their cheesy biscuits that come with the meal. They are so warm, fluffy, and have the perfect amount of melted cheese in each biscuit. I found this recipe that said it tasted exactly like the biscuits at the restaurant and they were absolutely right. The biscuits turned out perfectly and we enjoyed them with some pasta and sauce.

Source: Joyful Abode

Ingredients:

2 c. buttermilk biscuit mix (I used Bisquick)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 to 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 c. milk
2 tbsp. butter
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. garlic salt (I used 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder and 1/2 tsp. of salt)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cooking sheet with nonstick spray. In a bowl, combine the biscuit mix, the garlic powder, and the shredded cheese. Stir to combine. Pour in the milk. Stir until combined. The dough should be lumpy, but not sticky.

Using the two-spoon method, drop the lumps of dough onto the cooking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, melt the butter. Add the oregano and garlic salt and mix together. Brush the butter mixture over each biscuit then put back into the oven and bake for another 5-6 minutes, or until lightly browned.