artichoke-stuffed mushrooms

I've always loved mushrooms.  Mushrooms out of the can were the first things I was able to cook on the stove by myself when I was younger. I would coat them in butter and a handful of salt and eat the whole skillets-worth by myself, not sharing one piece. Let's be honest...I still do this on a monthly-basis, it's one of my guilty food-pleasures. Mushrooms are difficult to ruin, and taste even better when chock-full of goodies! From spinach to crab to crispy breadcrumb mixtures, anything can be mixed into this recipe and snuck right into the little mushrooms before toasting up in the warmed oven. This is a perfect recipe for the upcoming holiday of New Year's Eve! Super impressive, hardly time-intensive, but detail-oriented, this dish is party-ready!

Ingredients (appetizer portions for 2 people, multiply as necessary):
1 package of organic button mushrooms
1 can of artichoke hearts
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 tbs butter
8 oz reduced fat cream cheese
1/3 cup panko

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Strain artichoke hearts and chop.

 

2. Mince 4 cloves of garlic and add to nonstick pan with butter along with artichoke. 
 

3. Add a pinch of both salt & pepper. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, or until crisped and browned.
 

4. Combine cream cheese with artichoke mixture and stir to thoroughly mix.
 

 

5. Wipe off the mushrooms and scoop out the insides with a spoon. It's normal to ruin a bunch and make them super ugly, once filled no one will notice the difference! Place the mushrooms on a foil-lined baking sheet.
 

6. Spoon artichoke mixture into a small ziploc bag, snip off a small corner and use this as a pastry bag to fill the mushrooms.
 

7. Fill each mushroom with mixture and top with panko and a drizzle of olive oil.
 

 

8. Pop in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until golden and crisped.
 

9. Serve and impress guests!

This recipe can be easily adapted to any other filling-- use canned crabmeat and some old bay spices, or even just add the mushroom stems back into a butter-garlic mixture along with the cream cheese for simple stuffed mushrooms, or if you're feeling adventurous, whip up some creamy spinach to fill the mushrooms with a tasty green mixture and top with garlicky-toasted breadcrumbs. The possibilities are endless, always delicious, and super impressive for guests!

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perfect cinnamon buns

My family is big on cinnamon buns, and I have found the perrrfect cinnamon bun recipe. Moist, warm, and fluffy, these cinnamon buns are difficult to mess up, and perfect for left overs. Easily made the day before, pop them in the oven before guests arrive to look like an amazing host/ess and welcome them to a cinnamon-y castle of goodness.

Ingredients (for 12-15 rolls):
1 cup warm milk
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2 eggs
1 cup butter, divided
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup white sugar
4 1/1 cups bread flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tbs ground cinnamon
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Dissolve yeast in warm milk. 

2. Add 1/3 cup melted butter to the milk along with eggs, salt, and white sugar. Stir to mix.

3. Add bread flour and stir.

4. Turn onto a floured surface and knead into a ball. 

5. Return to bowl, cover with a warm damp washcloth, and let sit in a warm area to rise for at least 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

6. Once the hour has passed, roll out ball onto the floured surface again. Roll dough into a thin rectangle of about 1/3" thickness.

7. Soften or melt another 1/3 cup of butter. Spread over dough to cover as much as possible (use your hands, get in there!).

8. In a small bow, mix 1 cup brown sugar with 2 1/2 tbs ground cinnamon for the filling. Sprinkle this mixture on the melted butter and use your hands to even out the topping.

9. Slowly & delicately roll up the dough. Cut with a warm wet knife into small chunks. 

10. Arrange on a lightly greased baking pan, discarding end bits that are not cinnamon-y enough. Cover again and let rise another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400F.

11. Once rolls have again doubled in size, uncover, and pop into preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until crispy, browned, but still spongey to the touch.

12. While the buns are still in the oven, you could make the cream cheese frosting: beat together cream cheese, 1/3 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Spread frosting on warm cinnamon buns and serve warm!

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mini mac n cheese

Mini things are always cute, from food to animals to anything really. When combining mini with tasty, you can't go wrong. Little bites with big flavor make appetizers super satisfying. 

Ingredients (make enough for appetizer portions for 6 hungry people or 8 snackers):

1 lb of elbow macaroni

3 tbs butter

1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano 

4 tbs flour

1 1/2 cups nonfat milk

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz gruyère (or other milder cheese of choice) 

2 egg yolks

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Boil macaroni in salted water until al dente. Drain and set to side.  

 

  
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour until thickened into a roux.

3. Add milk and whisk until boiling (3 minutes or so). Add the cheddar and other cheese of choice and whisk until fully melted.

 

 

4. Turn off heat and stir in egg yolks, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper. 

5. Fold in al dente macaroni and stir to coat. (If making ahead of time this mixture can be refrigerated until ready to bake)

6. Lightly butter a mini muffin tin and sprinkle parmigiano-reggiano on the bottom. Spoon enough of the mixture to just fill the tin and sprinkle tops with more parmigiano-reggiano. Bake for 7 minutes, or until crispy on top and bubbly in the center.

 

 

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