17 April 2013 Hasselback Potatoes

Hasselback Potatoes

April 17, 2013 By

Hasselback PotatoesHasselback potatoes seem to be everywhere on Pinterest lately (are you following my boards on Pinterest?) and I loved the concept so I decided to use leftover cheeses from a recent cheese course to create my own version.

The accordion-fanned potatoes get their name from the Stockholm, Sweden restaurant that first served them – Restaurant Hasselbacken. While I use Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar and some aged Swiss cheese in this version, any kind of flavorful, melty cheese would work.

Ingredients:

  • 4 baking potatoes (I used Russets)
  • 1 stick of butter, very cold and cut into 16 slices
  • 1 8-ounce bar of cheese, cut into 16 slices
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 4 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 Tbsp. sour cream (optional)

Hasselback Potatoes 2Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Scrub the potatoes and pat them dry with paper towels.
  3. Using a sharp paring knife, carefully slice the potatoes very thinly, without cutting all the way through.
  4. Tuck butter and cheese slices into each of the slits in the potatoes. Sprinkle each potato with salt and drizzle with olive oil.
  5. Place the potatoes in a baking pan, cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 60 minutes or until tender. Remove the foil, baste potatoes with any butter that sits at the bottom of the pan and bake for an additional 15 minutes to crisp up the potato skins.
  6. Remove the potatoes from the oven and serve with sour cream (optional).

Makes 4 servings.

Filed Under: American, Cheese, Potatoes, Sides Tagged With: , , , ,
22 November 2011 Cream of Asparagus and Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese Soup

Cream of Asparagus and Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese Soup

November 22, 2011 By

This comforting soup is perfect on a cold day and it is super simple to make.

Ingredients:

  • 3 one-pound bundles of fresh asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1/2 medium Spanish onion, chopped into 1/2 inch dice
  • 1/2 tsp. each dried thyme, ground nutmeg, salt and pepper
  • 32 ounce container chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 8 ounces sharp Vermont Cheddar cheese, grated, (like using Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar)

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. On a large rimmed baking sheet, coat the asparagus with olive oil.  Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until softened.  Set aside for use later.
  3. Add the vegetable oil, the onion and the spices to a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.  Cook stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
  4. Add the roasted asparagus and the chicken stock to the onion mixture in the pot.  Simmer partially covered for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.  Add the cream and warm for 2 minutes.
  5. Working in two batches, add the soup to a blender and puree until smooth, about 1 minute.  ***Be sure to remove the small venting cap from the blender to allow steam to come out and place a kitchen towel to cover the opening.
  6. Pour the pureed soup in a clean pot, add the cheese and gently warm over medium-low heat for 2 minutes or until the cheese has fully melted.

Serves 8 as a starter or 6 as a main course.

Note: Dress the soup with a light drizzle of heavy cream for an elegant touch.

Filed Under: American, Cheese, Soups, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , ,

Vermont Cheddar Cheese and Beer Fondue

October 24, 2011 By

It’s getting cooler outside and this type of weather calls for me to fondue.  This past weekend, I hosted a fondue party where I served a cheese fondue as an appetizer that was made using Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar and Victory Headwaters.  Great combination and prepared in a snap.

Ingredients:

  • 6 ounces medium-bodied beer (half a bottle)
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • Pinch of grated nutmeg

Preparation:

  1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine the beer and Worcestershire sauce.  In a small dish, combine the mustard and flour to form a paste.  Add the paste to the beer mixture, whisking vigorously to fully incorporate.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium.
  2. Add the cheese to the beer mixture by the handful, allowing the cheese to melt before adding more, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to medium-low, add nutmeg and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is smooth.  Keep on low until ready to serve, then pour the cheese into a warm fondue pot.
  3. Serve with crusty bread cubes and baby potatoes that have been par boiled.

Makes 6 appetizer-size servings.

Notes: Can’t find Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar?  No sweat – use any other sharp cheddar.  The fun part of cheese fondue is that you can vary the cheese and the liquid you use.  Gruyere and white wine would be amazing.

Filed Under: American, Cheese, French, Starters Tagged With: , , , , ,
23 October 2011 Happy Lazy Sunday, Post Fondue Night

Happy Lazy Sunday, Post Fondue Night

October 23, 2011 By

Last night, I had some friends over for fondue night.  We don’t fondue as often as we should because when we do, it’s a great time.  There’s no better way to stretch out a meal than to fondue.

I served a cheese fondue made using Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar from Vermont and Victory Headwaters.  Sharp cheese and beer – winning!  For dinner, I typically do a fondue pot with beefy, wine broth for shrimp, chicken and cheese cubes and a pot with hot oil for beef tenderloin.  The dinner fondues are served with three dipping sauces, this time: Sriracha and maple mayo, a Dijon mustard and tarragon mayo and a garlic mayo.  Just a fun concept and please ping me if you’d like fondue tips.

Today is football day at our home and we usually take it super easy on Sunday afternoons.  This means that I typically make dinner in the morning so we can just eat in front of the television later.  Today, I made my Grandma’s amazing meat sauce that we’ll eat with spaghetti.  I double the sauce recipe as it freezes beautifully.

Hope you’re having as great a weekend as I’m having!

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Beef, Canadian, Cheese, Entrees, French, Other Neat Things, Pasta, Starters Tagged With: , , , , , ,