Nov 30 2012

Cheddar Tailgating Bread

Posted by HowSweetEats in Baking, Step-by-Step Recipes

I hope you’re in the mood for something fantastically warm, gooey, comforting, and most of all, fun. We’re right in the heart of football season and who doesn’t love to bring the snack to the party that everyone can’t stop talking about? That’s exactly what this bread is. And more. I never need to be sold when cheese and bread are involved, so the instant I saw Rebecca’s recipe for Cheddar Tailgating Bread, I was halfway to the store grabbing the ingredients. Just you wait. We have a winner here, folks.

This snack could not be simpler. All you need is a loaf of Italian bread, some cheddar cheese, butter, garlic, green onions and parsley.

First, slice your onions, mince your garlic and chop your parsley.

Next, melt that butter and combine it with the onions and garlic. This smells like heaven.

Slice a grid pattern into your bread. This doesn’t have to be perfect, trust me. People are going to devour it no matter what.

Pulling apart the pieces, spoon the butter mixture into all the seams and crevices. It’s nearly impossible not to eat it at this point.

Make sure to get each and every nook and cranny!

Cover the bread with some foil and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven and take off the foil, then cover it with the cheddar. Shove that cheese down in between the pieces. This is the key to cheesy, gooey fluffiness.

After baking for another 15 minutes, the bread will look like yes. Um … yeah. I can’t even take how delicious it is.

As difficult as it may seem, let the bread cool for a few minutes then cover it in freshly chopped parsley. Pure torture.

Now you can finally serve it! Or, keep it all to yourself? If you share, make sure to snag a few bites quickly. This goes extremely fast. I mean, just look at it.

I can only describe this as a slightly toasty and warm garlic bread covered in bubbly cheddar and bursting with flavor. It is nuts. It is addicting. It is highly customizable and you can use whatever cheese, herbs or additional flavors your little heart desires. Basically what I’m trying to say is, it’s perfect.

Thanks so much to Rebecca for the fabulous recipe! Make sure to check out her blog, Foodie with Family, where she shares more delicious creations from her kitchen and tells downright hilarious stories. She is a gem, my friends.

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Cheddar Tailgating Bread

by Rebecca on August 29, 2012 in Appetizers

See post on Rebecca’s site!

4.75 Mitt(s) 4 Rating(s) 4 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5

Description

Soft-on-the-inside and crusty-on-the-outside Italian bread that is cut into grab-able squares, generously doused with melted butter mixed with minced green onion and garlic, toasted till hot and tender, then crammed full of cheddar cheese and baked until bubbly with browned bits of cheese capping it. This is a true crowd-pleaser!

Ingredients

1 stick Butter
1 clove Garlic, Large, Peeled And Minced
1 bunch Green Onions, Trimmed And Minced
1 pound Loaf Of Italian Bread
1 pound Grated Extra-sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 bunch Fresh Parsley, Minced

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (or preheat grill to medium heat). Lay out a double thickness of standard foil (or a single thickness of heavy-duty foil.) Spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a microwave safe bowl, or a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the butter until melted and mix in the garlic and sliced green onions. Stir with a serving spoon.

Lay the loaf of bread on the cutting board and cut a ½” grid pattern into it, stopping about ¼” above the base of the bread so that it stays connected. Gently pry apart the bread and spoon the butter mixture along the seams. Gently wrap the foil up around the top of the loaf and put on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, open the foil and sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top, gently pushing some of the cheese down into the cut bread.

Leave the foil open and return the pan to the oven or grill and raise the heat to 425°F or High for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and bubbly and lightly browned on top.

Let set for 3 minutes before showering with freshly minced parsley and serving.

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Jessica Merchant is a personal trainer turned food writer and blogger. Her blog, How Sweet Eats, is where she proclaims her love for all things sweet, all things bacon, and everything else in between. She works her magic in her Pittsburgh kitchen, which she shares with her husband of 2 years.

Oct 22 2012

Lightened Up Chicken Enchiladas

Posted by HowSweetEats in Step-by-Step Recipes

Enchiladas are a special food in our house. They are, as I like to refer to them, my weapon. They were the first meal I ever made for my husband and THE meal I make when I … well, quite frankly, when I want something. That something could really be anything, like the replacement of the high light bulb I can’t reach, which I’ve incessantly nagged about or the purse I “accidentally” purchased and let him “accidentally” see. Either way, they are one of my husband’s favorite meals and something I make probably twice a month.

The thing is, they are pretty decadent. We like lots of sodium-laced sauce, tons (no really—tons) of cheese inside and out, and really huge puffy flour or soft corn tortillas. And let’s not forget what goes on top: sour cream, more cheese, and obviously guacamole. Hello lover.

So enter Laurie’s recipe for Lightened Up Chicken Enchiladas. Oh my goodness, I was so excited I almost died. But then I was even more excited after I made them and we seriously loved on the entire pan. These are super delicious, so let’s get started!

You need some cooked and shredded chicken, low-sodium chicken stock, flour, a sweet onion, a few garlic cloves, olive oil, whole wheat tortillas, cumin, chipotle peppers in adobo, a red pepper and of course, cheese.

First up, dice your peppers and onions and add them to a skillet with some olive oil. After sautéing until soft, add in your garlic and cook for a few seconds until fragrant.

Stir in the flour, chopped peppers and cumin.

Then add your chicken stock and water, whisking well.

Cook for a few minutes until bubbly and thickened, and boom, you have your sauce! See how simple? Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.

With your shredded chicken in a large bowl, add some of the sauce and mix it up.

Add a bit more sauce to the bottom of a greased baking dish to make the first layer of deliciousness.

Then start filling your enchis. First up, add a few spoonfuls of the chicken mixture to the tortilla.

Roll it up tightly, placing it in the dish. Repeat with the rest until they are all crammed together and ready to go.

Add the rest of the sauce on top. I gently spread it with a spoon to cover every inch before baking.

Then add some cheese—just a bit—to cover the dish. Bake for a few minutes just until the enchiladas are warmed through and the cheese is melty. Oh melty cheese.

Admire your beautiful work!

Serve your enchiladas and cover them with sour cream (or, as we like, plain Greek yogurt), guacamole, chives, salsa and chopped cilantro. Go to town with all of your favorite garnishes.

We absolutely adored these! Not only are they much lighter ingredients-wise than our typical enchiladas, they are lightly filling, too. They aren’t heavy since you make your own sauce and keep the cheese to a minimum, but they still taste incredible and get the job done. Cravings cured!

Thanks so much to my fellow TK Blog contributor Laurie for the fabulous recipe. Check out her incredible blog, Simply Scratch, where she shares her delicious creations in the kitchen and beautiful step-by-step photography.

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