Quick Cheese Bread

Tags

bread, Cheddar, cheese, Parmesan

I absolutely love carbs… bread, pasta, bread with pasta… I always like to have a side of bread when we have pasta or soup for dinner. Unfortunately, I don’t normally plan far enough in advance to make my own bread, and I don’t want to run to the store just to buy bread. One of these days, I’ll plan ahead. There are way to many yeast bread recipes I want to try! In the meantime, I’ll stick to my quick breads. 🙂 This cheese bread is a wonderful savory quick bread, so it’s a perfect accompaniment to pastas and soups!

A layer of Parmesan cheese on the top and the bottom, with a moist delicate center that’s studded with more cheese. This bread isn’t overly cheesy tasting, but it has the perfect balance of flavors, along with some cayenne and black pepper to truly make this a savory bread. I definitely plan on making this bread in the future when I need a quick bread with dinner! And I’m curious to try this as a base recipe, to try to tweak it to an Italian version with Parmesan and maybe mozzarella, spiced up with basil and oregano, and maybe even some garlic… I’ll be sure to let you know if I try that out, but in the meantime try this yummy cheese bread!Quick Cheese Bread

3 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded and divided (about 1 cup)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, cut into ½-inch cubes
1¼ cups milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¾ cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then sprinkle ½ cup Parmesan cheese evenly over the bottom of the pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the cheddar until all the cheese is well coated with the flour mixture. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, egg and sour cream. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined; do not over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan evenly over the top of the batter.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (keep in mind when testing for doneness that a pocket of cheese may look like uncooked batter). Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn out and cool completely before cutting.

Source: Cook Like A Champion

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Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes

Tags

cream, Parmesan, potato, thyme

I believe I’ve mentioned before that I used to not be a big fan of potatoes. This made my boyfriend in college very sad since potatoes were one of his favorite foods, and most of the meals he ate were what I made. If only he could see me now! I now love potatoes, and this is one of my favorite recipes. I’ve been tweaking it since I first tried it, trying to make it easier and better. I really do love easy recipes… And creamy cheesy goodness? Who can say no! Perfect for a holiday dinner or a simple steak and potato dinner.Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes

2½ pounds potatoes, peeled
2 cups whipping cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 sprigs of thyme
Dash of nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine cream, garlic, thyme, nutmeg, salt, and pepper; heat thoroughly. Remove the sprig of thyme.

Meanwhile, thinly slice potatoes to about ?-inch thickness. Spread a layer of potatoes on the bottom of the baking dish, slightly overlapping the slices. Pour a little of the warmed cream over the potatoes, then sprinkle ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese on top. Place another layer of potatoes, topping with cream and ¼ cup cheese. Layer the last of the potatoes; pour the remaining cream over the potatoes and top with ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, golden brown, and bubbly.

Source: Adapted from Southern Living

Italian Meatloaf

Tags

basil, beef, Parmesan, tomato

Meatloaf is a pretty generic food, one that most people tend to dislike. I’m not sure why, because I’ve always been a fan of it, but maybe I’m part of the minority in that sense! To me, meatloaf is another comfort food. It’s perfect served up with some macaroni and cheese or fettuccine, and it’s time in the oven helps to heat my apartment! It’s always fun to find a twist on a classic, though, and this is an amazing twist! I found the recipe on a leaflet on a bottle of sun-dried tomatoes. It sounded super tasty, so I decided to take the recipe and run with it, and basically create my own Italian meatloaf. If you like sneaking vegetables into food, now is your chance! Finely chopped onions and carrots, and maybe even celery, would go great in here. Sun-dried tomatoes add a nice kick in every bite, and adding cheese and wine always makes Italian food taste better! 🙂 Italian Meatloaf

2 pounds ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
¾ cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
⅓ cup ketchup
¾ cup red wine
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3 cloves garlic
¼ cup dried basil
¼ cup dried oregano

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, using your hands to mix it thoroughly. Shape into a loaf and place in a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan. Cook for 70 minutes or until cooked through.

Source: Adapted from Recipe Source

Eggplant and Zucchini Gratin

Tags

eggplant, Parmesan, ratatouille, tomato, zucchini

The last two days, I got to go play with goats! A bunch of cute, cuddly baby goats. 🙂 One of our volunteers at work just got a couple wee bitty babies who are about as big as small dogs, and my coworker/best friend and I got to go play with them and the two older goats. Then yesterday, we went to the ranch of a work vendor (she does goat rentals) and we got to see her adorable bottle babies. They were so cute and cuddly, and just wanted love and attention! Sorry, I’m a huge goat fan, and if I ever get enough property, I’m so getting goats. My love of goats follows my trend of loving animals that most people don’t consider cute… rhinos and sea turtles are my top two favorite animals. 🙂

In honor of the goats, I decided to post a vegetarian dish today. A very uncommon thing in my repertoire since I’m not a big vegetable fan and would probably starve if I didn’t have my meaty proteins to fill me up! But, here we have it. A truly delicious vegetarian dish from none other than the famous Julia Child. This was the first recipe of hers I have ever tried as they tend to be complicated and long, hence quite intimidating. She calls this gratin a simple version of ratatouille, and it is decadent in its presentation and in its flavor. I changed how I sliced things just because I wanted everything to be rounds, instead of some rounds and some long slices. I would highly recommend this gratin whether it be for your family or for entertaining guests. Personally, I definitely plan on making this again, and hopefully trying some other Julia Child recipes soon!Eggplant and Zucchini Gratin

½ cup olive oil, divided
2 Japanese eggplants
2 medium zucchini, about 1 pound total
3 or 4 ripe tomatoes, about 1 pound total
1 tablespoon herbs de Provence, divided
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Arrange the rack on the lower-middle level of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Pour ⅓ cup olive oil onto a baking sheet, and gently tilt it to evenly disperse the oil.

Trim off ends of eggplant and slice crosswise on the diagonal into ½-inch thick slices. One at a time, dip the slices in the oil on the sheet, pressing to lightly coat one side with oil. Arrange the slices on the sheet, oiled side up, in a single layer and sprinkle on ½ teaspoon each of salt and herbs de Provence. Bake for about 15 minutes until the eggplant slices are soft and somewhat shriveled; allow to cool briefly.

Meanwhile, trim the ends off the zucchini and cut crosswise on the diagonal into slices about ¼-inch thick. Salt the zucchini and let it sit for about 15 minutes then wipe off the moisture; this will work to pull excess moisture from the zucchini so the gratin isn’t watery. Slice the tomatoes into ¼-inch thick slices.

In a gratin dish, or a similar sized 11 by 7-inch baking dish, lay three or four eggplant slices against the narrow side of the dish. Arrange four or five zucchini slices in front of the eggplant slices, and three or four tomato slices in front of the zucchini. Repeat vegetable rows until the pan is full of alternating rows of eggplant, zucchini, and tomato, placing them so the colorful top edges of the previous row are still visible. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence and drizzle 1½ tablespoons olive oil over the vegetables.

To prepare the topping, combine the Panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and a teaspoon of herbs de Provence. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and toss it to coat the crumbs. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the vegetables.

Place dish in center of oven and bake for 40 minutes until vegetables are soft, the juices are bubbling, and the top is a deep golden brown. If the crumbs need more browning, you can stick them under the broiler for a few moments. Serve hot directly from the baking dish.

Note: If you wish to prepare this in advance, stop after the vegetables are laid in the gratin dish; cover and refrigerate. Add the oil, herbs, and breadcrumbs right before baking.

Source: Adapted from Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home by Julia Child

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Sticks

Tags

breadcrumbs, Parmesan, zucchini

There are many times that I wish I lived in a house, instead of in an apartment. One of those main reasons is a garden. I’m super envious of all the people who end up with a surplus of tomatoes and zucchini, or a backyard full of plump, juicy fruit hanging from their trees. A girl can dream, but in the meantime, I’m stuck relying on the supermarket.

If you are fortunate enough to have extra zucchini, and your freezer is full of zucchini bread, try some zucchini sticks. They’re versatile enough to be an appetizer or a side dish, instead of french fries. The crunchy crust is a great contrast to the soft zucchini inside, and they’re great for sneaking zucchini into unknowing children or husbands!Baked Parmesan Zucchini Sticks

½ cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
¾ cup Panko breadcrumbs
¾ cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pound zucchini, about 2 zucchinis

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Cut off the ends of the zucchini, then cut in half crosswise and cut in half lengthwise. Cut the zucchini quarters into long strips, cutting lengthwise.

Place flour into a large zip lock bag. In a shallow dish, whisk 2 eggs with 1 tablespoon water. In a second shallow bowl, combine Panko breadcrumbs, plain breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Toss the zucchini strips with the flour until well coated. Working in batches of 3 or 4 strips, remove the excess flour, dip the strips into the egg mixture, then into the breadcrumb mixture. Toss until well coated, pressing the breadcrumbs onto the sticks to help them adhere. Place breaded zucchini sticks on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly spray the zucchini sticks with cooking spray, to help them brown.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately with Ranch dressing or marinara sauce for dipping.

Source: A Dash of Sugar and Spice original