appetizer

#CranberryWeek: White Cheddar and Cranberry Dip

~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

It’s day three of #CranberryWeek hosted by Caroline of Caroline’s Cooking. We’re sharing cranberry-inspired creations all week long in celebration of national cranberry day. Search #CranberryWeek to keep up to date and follow the #CranberryWeek Pinterest board for more cranberry inspiration.

I made this dip last year at Christmas and it was enjoyed by all. Who doesn’t love a dip in a bread bowl!? I held on to it hoping that #CranberryWeek would indeed return in 2017.

White Cheddar and Cranberry Dip for #CranberryDip from Sew You Think You Can Cook

The photos taken at my parents’ house last year were not worth editing and I knew I’d have to make this dip again. It’s still delicious – the cheddar cheese has a bite that challenges that of the fresh cranberry while the cranberry sauce lends just a back-note of sweetness.

White Cheddar and Cranberry Dip

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 C shredded extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 C shredded Gruyere cheese
  • 1 block (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 C fresh cranberries
  • 1/4 C cranberry sauce
  • 1 sourdough boule loaf

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together shredded cheese and cream cheese until combined. (Option to reserve some of the cheddar cheese for topping.) Fold in the cranberries and cranberry sauce.
  3. Create a bowl from the sourdough by cutting the top and scooping out the insides, leaving enough thickness for a wall. Cube up the removed bread for serving.
  4. Pour cheese mixture into the bread bowl. Place on a baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Top with reserved cheese, if desired, and broil until golden.
  5. Serve with cubed sourdough bread, vegetables, and crackers.

*This recipe is adapted from https://californiagoldminer.com/recipe/white-cheddar-cranberry-dip*

White Cheddar and Cranberry Dip for #CranberryWeek from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out these other great cranberry recipes:

Butternut Squash Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries and Fennel from Caroline’s Cooking

Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad Wraps from Family Around The Table

Cranberry Cheeseball by The Freshman Cook

Cranberry Cobbler from Cookaholic Wife

Cranberry Gremolata from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Cranberry Orange Relish from Books n’ Cooks

Jellied Cranberry Sauce from Palatable Pastime

Orange Cranberry Sweet Rolls from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Pear Holly Cocktail from Bear & Bug Eats

Roasted Green Beans with Cranberries from Making Miracles

Slow Cooker Cranberry BBQ Chicken from Jonesin’ For Taste

Slow Cooker Cranberry Pot Roast from Everyday Eileen

White Cheddar and Cranberry Dip from Sew You Think You Can Cook

White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies from House of Nash Eats

#SundaySupper: Small Bites Recipes for Entertaining

~ lk529 ~ 26 Comments

Ah, entertaining.

When I think about entertaining, I imagine high top tables surrounded by chatty friends holding some sort of cocktail.

Truth be told, I don’t know why that’s what pops into my mind. I think the only event I’ve been to like that is the cocktail hour portion of a wedding or my brother’s post rehearsal dinner party.

Realistically, entertaining for me involves some sort of sporting event, Thanksgiving, or a kid’s birthday party.

Elegant entertaining is not exactly in my foreseeable future as elegant and toddler boy don’t quite belong in the same sentence. Unless it’s to say, “Don’t plan an elegant party if the toddler boys are going to be around.” As much as I want to have/host an elegant gold Golden Birthday in August, I don’t think it’ll be happening.

If entertaining is in your schedule this summer be sure to check out the 20+ recipes perfect for your next party from the #SundaySupper crew! Thanks to Christie of A Kitchen Hoors Adventures for hosting this event.

Wild Mushroom and Grape Crostini

Ingredients:

  • 1 baguette, sliced on the bias
  • olive oil, for brushing
  • 1/2 lb mixed wild mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 C red grapes, halved
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 2-3 tbsp rosemary olive oil
  • 6-8 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
  • lemon
  • Parmesan cheese, shaved

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Brush baguette slices with olive oil. Season with S+P. Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake 8 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a cooling rack.
  3. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
  4. Arrange mushroom, grapes, and shallot on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss evenly to coat in the rosemary olive oil. Bake 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  5. Season ricotta with S+P and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
  6. Spread ricotta onto the baguette slices, top with the cooked mushrooms and a shaving of Parmesan cheese.

*This recipe is modified from Giada at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/mushroom-and-grape-crostini-3636546*

Wild Mushroom and Grape Crostini for #SundaySupper from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Small Starters

Pint-sized Protein

Demi-Desserts

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement

Pork and Apple Meatballs

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

It was the game day after our apple picking adventure and we were in need of something a little more substantial to munch on during the Michigan game. We had a lovely platter of cheese, crackers, and apple slices and my baked buffalo cauliflower. We actually kept a portion un-coated in the batter and I might even like them better sans-breading. (Gasp!)

It was decided that I should go ahead and make some meatballs. With an abundance of apples sitting on the table I thought it’d be a good idea to use them! Pork and apples are a classic combination that works well in meatball form, too.

We had mixed reviews on whether or not these appetizers needed a dip. While everyone enjoyed them plain-Jane, my husband couldn’t help himself from grabbing some honey. That man puts honey on just about everything.

Pork and Apple Meatballs (with honey) | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

My aunt couldn’t understand why they’d be served with anything and preferred them as is. I found that serving them with the honey we purchased at the apple orchard helped highlight the pork flavor and provided a sweetness that amplified the apple.

An Original Recipe

Pork and Apple Meatballs

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 1 pkg (19 oz) Italian sausage
  • 1 apple, peeled and finely chopped or grated
  • 2-3 tbsp diced red onion
  • 1 egg
  • S+P, to taste

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients until just incorporated. Form into ping-pong sized meatballs.
  3. Place in a lightly greased casserole dish and bake 20-30 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 160 deg F is reached.
  4. Serve with a drizzle of apple blossom honey (optional).

Pork and Apple Meatballs | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

#SundaySupper: Easy Football Food Ideas for Game Day

~ lk529 ~ 27 Comments

It’s here! It’s here! Football season is here!

College football games started this week and the professional games start next week.

I’ve got my Fantasy Draft on Wednesday – I really need to do some researching!

I’m a little nervous about how to handle this sports season being on the West Coast for the first time. I guess it’s a good thing the boys have me up early! It’s also going to be strange seeing the TV Guide filled with a bunch of schools I’ve never watched or potentially never even heard of! It’ll be harder to find those SEC schools I so badly want to watch, so I’m definitely grateful there’s an SEC Network on which I can watch my Tigers.

To help kick-off the season the tastemakers at #SundaySupper have put together a fantastic menu of easy game day recipes for your next tailgate or couch-gate. A big thank you to Coleen of The Redhead Baker for hosting this fun event!

I’ve jumped on the bandwagon a few years late, but I’m sharing Buffalo Cauliflower Bites today!

Cauliflower is one of those veggies that we simply avoided. And honestly, I’m not sure why. Even when it’s provided on those party veggie platters, I skip over it for its friend Broccoli. It’d been bugging me so I forced the issue and bought a head of cauliflower to have in the “veggie train” at my son’s birthday party.

I did try it. And really didn’t have much of an opinion on it. It’s fairly bland. And I still prefer broccoli. At least raw.

So what to do with the leftovers? I’ve been dying to try the cauliflower pizza crust but decided to go an easier route. Take the post popular way to prepare cauliflower for cauli-haters: buffalo it!

My husband was beyond skeptical. I told him I was making it and that was that. He said, “Okay. I’ll try it, but I probably won’t eat it.” Guess what? He not only ate it, he’s asking for it again! And so am I.

This recipe will feed 4 people.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Ingredients:

  • 4 C cauliflower florets
  • 3/4 C flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
  • 3/4 C water
  • 3/4 C buffalo sauce
  • 1 tbsp butter, melted

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet.
  2. Whisk together flour, garlic powder, salt, and water. Add the cauliflower and toss to coat. Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet, allow the excess coating to drip off.
  3. Bake cauliflower for 20 minutes.
  4. In a measuring cup, combine the buffalo sauce and butter. Pour over the cauliflower. Bake another 5 minutes.
  5. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.

*This recipe is adapted from Gina at http://www.skinnytaste.com/spicy-buffalo-cauliflower-bites/*

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites for #SundaySupper from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Appetizers

Main Dishes

Side Dishes

Desserts

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Broccoli Artichoke Dip

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Right before the Super Bowl the Sunday Supper Movement hosted a Big Game Day Recipes event. During that event I shared Slow Cooker Thai Wings. There were a good number of recipes I wanted to try, but the Roasted Broccoli Artichoke Dip by Cooking Chat was the one I’d picked to make first! With only two (maybe 2.5) of us, I halved the recipe. I shouldn’t have though, because I ate about half of it for lunch that day! The rest of it was inhaled by my husband. Between the two eating sessions, I stored the dip in the fridge. When cold, it got a little too hard for the chips to hold up against, but a quick 10-15 seconds in the microwave fixed the broken chip problem.

We ate this dip with multigrain tortilla chips (our favorite!), but it would be wonderful with pita, too.

broc dip 1 FG1

Broccoli Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

  • 1 head broccoli, florets chopped
  • ½ tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp minced garlic, divided use
  • ½ can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained
  • 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • ¼ C sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1 scallion, chopped
  • ¼ tsp dried parsley
  • ¼ tsp cumin
  • 1/8 C Parmesan cheese
  • Lemon juice, as needed

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Toss broccoli in olive oil with ½ the garlic. Season with S+P. Place on a baking sheet and roast 15-20 minutes, until softened. Set aside to cool.
  3. Place broccoli, artichokes, and scallion in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
  4. Add cream cheese and sour cream to the food processor and pulse until combined. Mix in the parsley, cumin, and Parmesan, pulse until fully incorporated. Add lemon juice, S+P to taste.

*This recipe is adapted from David at http://cookingchatfood.com/broccoli-artichoke-dip/*

broc dip 2 FG1

Chicken Chorizo Meatballs

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

It’s Mexican Monday everybody! I’m too afraid to go back through and find out when my last Mexican Monday post was, I’m sure it’s so far back it’d be embarrassing. And a little sad. Our Mexican Monday endeavor has finally kicked the bucket. Not intentionally, mind you, and I can come up with all sorts of scheduling related excuses. And there’s always that feeling of getting caught in a rut.

But not today! (Or well, the day we made and ate these.) Today there’s a brand new Mexicany (it’s a word, don’t worry about it) recipe to share. Meatballs with chorizo! Aka meatballs with flavor! I used ground chicken instead of ground beef because that’s what I had, but I definitely want to try these with ground beef, too, I imagine they’d be even better!

I’m not quite sure what pasta/sauce pairing would work with these so I would suggest using these for some game day grub or party appetizer. Queso makes a great dipper, or salsa, sour cream, even guacamole. They’d probably even work over top a taco salad, too.

Chicken Chorizo Meatballs

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 onion, minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 3/4 C panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 C grated cheese (I used a combo of Monterrey and Colby Jack)
  • 1 tbsp dried cilantro
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 2 links Mexican chorizo, skins removed

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet.
  2. In a small skillet over medium-high heat saute onion in olive oil until tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute, set aside.
  3. In a large bowl whisk together egg and milk. Add the panko, cooked onion and garlic, cheese, and spices. Mix in the meat; I found a fork worked well to incorporate the chorizo into the chicken. Season with S+P.
  4. Form into golf ball sized meatballs; I found wetting my hands helpful in preventing the mixture from sticking to me. Place on prepared baking sheet.
  5. Bake 12-15 minutes, until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached.

*This recipe is adapted from Renee at http://leitesculinaria.com/101202/recipes-chorizo-meatballs.html*

Chicken Chorizo Meatballs | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Pineapple Beef Lettuce Cups

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

“Quick! The little man is sleeping! Go write something!”

At least that’s what the little voice in my head is telling me right now.

But it’s not telling me anything else!

Hello, writer’s block, we meet again.

How do you jump the hurdle and share a wonderful story? Help!

At least I have this great recipe to share with you, though. It’s Stir Fry Day Friday, everyone! And today’s edition is getting all dressed up in a bright lettuce cup suit. (I’d actually suggest some added bling by very finely dicing some more fresh pineapple as garnish and an extra drizzle of Sriracha to the lettuce cup!)

This recipe only serves two. In fact, it might be better off as a lunch or even an appetizer. However, you could always serve the stir fry over rice to “beef” it up for dinner.

Pineapple Beef Lettuce Cups

Ingredients:

  • 1 C cubed fresh pineapple
  • 1/4 C soy sauce
  • 1/4 C molasses
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1-2 tbsp Sriracha
  • 1 tbsp ketchup
  • 2 tsp minced garlic (I used Gourmet Garden stir-in chunky garlic paste)
  • 1 tsp grated fresh ginger (I used 1 tsp Gourmet Garden stir-in ginger paste)
  • 1 lb stir-fry beef strips
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 carrot, thinly sliced
  • 8 leaves Bibb lettuce
  • sesame seeds, for garnish

Steps:

  1. Place pineapple, soy sauce, molasses, vinegar, Sriracha, ketchup, garlic, and ginger in a blender. Blend until combined. Pour into a bowl and add the beef. Place in the fridge and marinate for 1-6 hours.
  2. Remove beef from the marinade. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the beef for 3-5 minutes; do this in batches if needed so as not to over crowd the pan. Remove from skillet and cover to keep warm.
  3. In the same skillet or wok saute the thinly sliced veggies until tender, season with S+P. Remove and cover to keep warm.
  4. Assemble the wraps by dividing the beef and veggies among each leaf of lettuce. Garnish with sesame seeds and more Sriracha, if desired.

*This recipe is adapted from Liz at http://www.floatingkitchen.net/spicy-pineapple-beef-lettuce-wraps/*

Pineapple Beef Lettuce Cups | Sew You Think You Can Cook

And he’s awake. Until next time!

SRC: Spinach Artichoke Dip

~ lk529 ~ 28 Comments

newsrcbanner

It’s Secret Recipe Club Reveal Day! In the Secret Recipe Club, each participating blogger is assigned a blog from another participating blogger and secretly searches their site for something to recreate. The accompanying blog post then goes live on reveal day! So while I was immersed in my assigned blog, someone else was picking through mine! I’m so excited to be part of this group, to see what on my blog peaks other’s interests and to stumble upon new blogs and new recipes.

This month I was assigned the blog Hapa-tite written by Nicole. “Hapa” in Hawaiian means “half” and is a slang term used for people of mixed heritage. A term Nicole uses proudly; she is culturally Hawaiian and ethnically  Chi­nese, Chero­kee, Ger­man, and Amer­i­can! Nicole lives in D.C. and explores many great restaurants. She posts reviews on her site, so if you’re in the area be sure to stop by her page!

I saved a few recipe contenders from Nicole’s site including double chocolate espresso cookies, citrus corn muffin scones, and healthy spinach artichoke dip. It wasn’t until after I made the latter and started typing up this post that I saw her newest blog entry for cardamom pear muffins. That’s what I get for not procrastinating this month!

I had to make some changes to the dip based on Nicole’s substitution recommendations: instead of aioli garlic mustard sauce I replaced half of the mayonnaise with Dijon mustard (If you’re sensitive to mustard I’d adjust the ratio to use more mayo, however that bite from the mustard is, in my opinion, what made this dip addicting.); I chose to include the Greek yogurt because I prefer creamier dips (I might even add more!); and I had to use a marbled cheddar instead of white due to product availability.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and rough chopped
  • 1 box (9 oz) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
  • 1/2 C shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 C shredded cheddar (white recommended)
  • 1/8 C mayonnaise
  • 1/8 C Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp Greek yogurt

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Mix all ingredients until combined. Season to taste with S+P.
  3. Pour dip into a lightly greased oven safe dish (I used a pie dish).
  4. Bake 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, pita, bread, or veggies. Reheat in microwave 1-2 minutes as needed.

*This recipe is adapted from Nicole at http://hapatite.com/healthy-spinach-artichoke-dip/*

Spinach Artichoke Dip for SRC from Sew You Think You Can Cook

To see the other bloggers who participated in the Secret Recipe Club this month click here:

#SundaySupper: Copy Cat Recipes

~ lk529 ~ 26 Comments

This week Sunday Supper is taking those restaurant favorites and making them at home. To answer the call of copy cat recipes I had quite the plethora of favorites I’d like to try, but thanks to Pinterest my desire to make a Bloomin’ Onion was too strong to pass up. Thanks to Coleen of The Redhead Baker for hosting this fun event. Be sure to scroll past my recipe to see a menu of Copy Cat recipes.

As is true with most Pinterest finds, this endeavor was much harder than it looked. I gave the Bloomin’ Onion two attempts before succumbing to onion petals. The Copy Cat Bloomin’ Sauce though, was spot on!

I contemplated baking the Bloomin’ Onion, but I figured, if we’re going Copy Cat we’re going to fry it! The amount of clean up required reminded me why I don’t fry foods! The amount of deliciousness made me want a deep fryer.

I’ve at least figured out a way to dispose of the oil. I keep the empty oil bottle and once the oil is cool, return it to the bottle. It is then contained and easily disposed. I do this with all cooking fat, I keep a bottle in the freezer and add to it until I buy a new bottle of oil. I then toss and repeat.

Attempt 1: The beer batter didn’t get in between the petals, resulting in an onion softball – the center of which still contained raw batter and an onion that wasn’t cooked quite enough. (no photo taken)

IMG_5200Attempt 2: Opened the petals up a little more, but that caused the onion to fall apart. Fried the onion upside down, which did help, and flipped halfway through. Onion was smaller and not large enough to go all the way around the sauce. Cooked the onion a touch longer, however it got too crispy and the photos turned out terribly – I think it looks like the underside of ribs! (embarrassing photo to the right)

Attempt 3: To cut the petals, I followed the same steps for cutting the Bloomin’ Onion and then chopped off the bottom portion so the petals would be on their own. I still tossed them in the flour mixture, then the batter, followed by another dip in the flour, before frying in batches for 3 minutes.

Ultimately, I think the beer batter was just too thick. I used a local Pale Ale. I don’t claim to be a beer expert but maybe a lite beer would be better? Or maybe add more than 1 bottle? If you’ve tackled the Bloomin’ Onion, please let me know if you had a Pinterest success or a Pinterest fail!

Copy Cat Bloomin' Onion for #SundaySupper from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Copy Cat: Outback Bloomin’ Sauce with Onion Petals

Ingredients for Sauce:

  • 1/2 C mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp horseradish (creamy recommended)
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp ketchup
  • 1/3 tsp paprika
  • 1/8 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • pinch black pepper

Ingredients for onion:

  • up to 4 sweet onions
  • 3 1/2 C flour, divided use
  • 1 bottle (12 oz) beer
  • 1/3 C cornstarch
  • 6 tsp paprika, divided use
  • 4 tsp garlic powder, divided use
  • 2 1/2 tsp black pepper, divided use
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp salt

Steps:

  1. To make the sauce, whisk together all ingredients.
  2. Make the seasoned flour: Whisk together 2 C flour, 4 tsp paprika, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp cayenne in a shallow bowl.
  3. Make the beer batter: Whisk together 1 1/2 C flour, 1/3 C cornstarch, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp paprika, 2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp salt in a shallow bowl. Stir in the beer until combined.
  4. Cut about 1/2″ off of the top of the onion. Peel the outer layer. Very carefully cut the root hairs off the onion, but leave the root in tact. Cut 12-16 vertical wedges into the onion, being sure not to cut down through the onion. If you’re attempting the Bloomin’ Onion carefully and gently separate the layers. If you’re making petals, cut the bottom of the onion off and separate the petals.
  5. Place onion in seasoned flour, making sure to coat all layers. Place onion in beer batter, making sure to get the batter all around the onion. Return onion to the flour. [Photos above]
  6. Fry at 375 degrees F for 3-4 minutes, flipping halfway through. If you’re attempting the Bloomin’ Onion, place onion cut-side down to start. Remove onion to a paper towel lined baking sheet to drain.

*The sauce recipe is adapted from Allyson at http://domesticsuperhero.com/2013/10/23/copycat-outback-bloom-sauce/ and the onion recipe is adapted from Stephanie at http://www.copykat.com/2009/02/02/outback-steakhouse-bloomin-onion/*

Copy Cat Outback Bloomin' Sauce for #SundaySupper from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Drinks

Appetizers

Condiments

Main Courses

Side Dishes

Desserts

8387592742_f6164fd5a8_oJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Spanish Chorizo Croquetas

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

There used to be a Cuban restaurant near our house (it closed and a Chicago deli replaced it, which was fine with us, too) and every other weekend we’d frequent the little shop to get perfect Cuban sandwiches, tostones or maduro, and if they had them croquetas de jamon. That last item was very rare – they were simply that good!

I remember the first time Stuart had croquetas. He was driving with me back home from Auburn and I don’t know where we stopped for gas and food but we found a little Cuban restaurant off the beaten path. I ordered croquetas for an appetizer and he fell in love with them, too. I would like to try making croquetas de jamon sometime.

I have a half-check on that culinary bucket list item, though! My friend Tara made a Spanish version of croquetas using Spanish chorizo. That recipe was pinned in a heartbeat (almost a year ago!) and when we finally found Spanish chorizo this appetizer was made immediately.

Well, almost immediately. I wanted to have an extra set of eyes around to watch the little man when it came time to frying the tapas so I made the recipe in batches. I made the filling on Friday and then on Saturday I formed, coated, and fried them.

I’ve seen a few recipes for baking croquetas and I was extremely tempted to alter Tara’s recipe for the cleaner, easier route, but I’m glad I didn’t. Sometimes you just need that extra grease in your life. I will try a baked version sometime though – frying foods with an almost-walker underfoot isn’t exactly the best idea…

These croquetas melt in your mouth and I’m not even ashamed to admit that I ate over half of these throughout the day. The recipe makes 15-16.

I’m really wishing I had a few (okay five) next to me right now….

Spanish Chorizo Croquetas

Ingredients:

  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 C plus 2 1/2 tbsp flour, divided use
  • 1 1/2 C hot milk
  • 1/2 C chicken stock
  • 100 g Spanish chorizo, diced
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 C bread crumbs
  • vegetable oil, for frying

Steps:

  1. In a large skillet over medium heat melt butter and olive oil. Saute the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 C plus 2 1/2 tbsp flour and cook until golden. Slowly add in the hot milk, whisking constantly, followed by the chicken stock. Cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick. Season with S+P. Mix in the diced chorizo and cook another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  2. In a shallow bowl beat the eggs. Place remaining 1 1/2 C flour on a plate and place the breadcrumbs on another plate.
  3. In a high sided skillet over medium-high heat, bring 1″ of vegetable oil to 350 degrees F.
  4. Form croqueta filling into 15-16 2″ logs.
  5. Coat croquetas in flour, egg, and then breadcrumbs.
  6. Fry croquetas for 2 minutes, flip, and fry another 2 minutes, or until golden. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Do this in 3 batches, making sure the oil returns to 350 degrees F between each batch.

*This recipe is adapted from Tara at http://www.tarasmulticulturaltable.com/chorizo-croquetas/*

Spanish Chorizo Croquetas | Sew You Think You Can Cook