Broccoli-Cheddar Puff and an Award!

Does anyone else have recipes in their recipe box/binder that they know they want to make someday but just never get around to actually doing it? Well, that sums up this recipe for me. I have a big binder that I keep all of the recipes I've found that I know I want to try someday. This recipe has been in my binder for years and years (it's so old, I have no idea where I got it). It just looks and sounds like something I'd love. But... I'd never gotten around to making it.

So I finally decided that I needed to make it already! I usually stick to easy side dishes that I can whip together in a hurry. I think that's why I kept passing over this one. It is rather time consuming and something you need to plan ahead for. But it's perfect for company and will certainly end up being the star of your meal. And I absolutely love the bright colors - the greens and yellows look so delicious.

So... bookmark this recipe and try it one of these days! Even if it takes you a year or two, it'll be worth it!



Broccoli-Cheddar Puff

5 Tbsp. butter or margarine
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
2 and 1/4 cups whole milk
8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
2 boxes (10 oz. each) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and squeezed dry
7 large eggs, separated
1 and 1/2 cups coarse soft fresh bread crumbs (from 3 slices firm white bread)

1. In 4-quart saucepan, melt 4 Tbsp. butter over medium-low heat. Stir in flour, salt, and ground red pepper until blended; cook 1 minute, stirring. Gradually stir in milk; cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring frequently. Stir in Cheddar; cook just until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in broccoli.

2. In small bowl, with fork, lightly beat egg yolks. Stir in about 1/2 cup cheese sauce. Gradually pour egg-yolk mixture into cheese sauce, stirring rapidly to prevent curdling. Cool slightly.

3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease shallow 3 and 1/2 quart ceramic casserole dish or 13x9-inch glass baking dish. In microwave-safe small bowl, heat remaining 1 Tbsp. butter in microwave oven on High 15 to 20 seconds or until melted, swirling bowl once. Add bread crumbs; stir until well combined.

4. In large bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted. With rubber spatula, gently fold one third of whites into cheese mixture. Fold cheese mixture gently back into remaining whites.

5. Pour mixture into prepared casserole. Sprinkle crumb mixture on top. Bake 40 minutes or until top is browned and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve immediately.


Now for the award! Allie over at Finding Inspiration in Food was kind enough to pass this award onto me. I'm honored, as I think her site is fantastic. I need to take some tips from her on her great food photography.


There are so many amazing blogs out there, but of course I have a few of my very favorites who I'd like to pass this award along to.

First, Cathy from The Tortefeasor. Her food always looks amazing and her commentary is top notch. I'd love to be able to tell a story even half as well as she does. Thanks for always keeping me laughing, Cathy!

Jaime from Good Eats 'N Sweet Treats deserves this so much! Her food creations are absolutely gorgeous - they look better than most I see in cookbooks and magazines. And she has great taste. I want to try everything she posts!

My dear friend Michelle from Sweet Sensations. She is a very old friend of mine and is one of the kindest, sweetest people I know. Her food creations are also very sweet. You'll be drooling all over your keyboard when you see some of the things she makes.

Thanks again Allie for this award!

Ritz Cracker Ice Cream

Did you ever think to make ice cream with Ritz crackers? I could have never dreamed this up myself.


I saw this ice cream over at a fabulously creative blog called Ideas In Food. Check them out, you won't be sorry. You're guaranteed to find things there that will leave you scratching your head and wondering how people can just naturally be this creative. I wish I got that gene.

This ice cream is really rich and tastes like eating pie crust. This is serious sinfulness and total deliciousness, people. Hey, the diet starts in January, right?


Ritz Cracker Ice Cream
(adapted from Ideas In Food)

1 pint half and half
1/3 cup sugar
3 cups crumbled Ritz crackers
3/4 cup sour cream

1. Combine the sugar and the half and half and bring to a boil. Pour over the crumbled Ritz crackers and then stir in the sour cream.

2. Puree the mixture in a blender. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled and then process in an ice cream maker according to your machine's instructions.


And now for some award business! Cathy over at Tortefeasor passed along this award to me. I was so honored because I absolutely love her blog and her hilarious commentary. Thanks, Cathy!



And I'd love to share this award with some of my favorite food bloggers out there.

1. First and foremost, my great friend Michelle. I've known her since high school and I love having a fellow foodie who I actually know! She's not only sweet and wonderful, but she's a great cook too. Check out her site, Sweet Sensations.

2. Another blog I frequent and love belongs to Teanna over at Spork or Foon. I love all of the crazy things she finds and shares, and she is such a riot. Thanks for keeping me laughing, Teanna!

3. The next site is one that I just recently started reading and really enjoy. Amy of The Delicious Cook does such a great job of bringing us really great classic recipes. Everything on her site looks delicious. Check out her sweet potato creme brulee. Yum!

Southwestern Chicken

My husband and I started dating while in college in upstate New York. The very first trip we took together was to Lake Placid, which wasn't far from our school. It was February and it was really cold. You know how when you're first dating and you try to be nice and agree to do something if that's what he wants? Well, we went skiing and I hated it. I'm totally not a skier and I've actually never been again since that trip about 8 years ago. Don't laugh, but I literally fell off the ski lift trying to get off of it. You'll never get me close to one of those things ever again. Not my thing. Point me to the fireplace and the hot chocolate and I'm happy. Here's a picture of me from that trip. Do I look like I'm having fun?


Well, thankfully the trip did get better after that experience. We spent a day in downtown Lake Placid, shopping and hitting up the restaurants. My then-boyfriend and now-husband knew how much I like to cook even back then and bought me a great cookbook with a collection of Adirondack recipes. This recipe for Southwestern Chicken is from that cookbook. The recipe comes from a great place in Lake Placid called the Interlaken Inn and Restaurant. It's one of the oldest inns in the Adirondacks and it's meals are elegant and served over candlelight.


This recipe is truly a gem. It's sophisticated and so perfect for a special occasion. The puff pastry makes it fun and different and is surprisingly easy to work with. It's just plain awesome and (thankfully) reminds me of the good parts of our trip.


Southwestern Chicken
(adapted from Famous Adirondacks Restaurants and Recipes)

2 chicken breasts
5 oz. jar marinated artichokes, drained
4 oz. can diced green chilies
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup sour cream
10 oz. package Pepperidge Farm puff shells (6 shells)

1. Bake puff shells according to the package directions.

2. Cook chicken and dice.

3. Puree artichokes, green chilies and sour cream in food processor. After chicken is cooled, combine it with the artichoke mixture.

4. Put mixture into a pan and heat through. Add cheese and stir well.

5. Spoon mixture into pastry shells and serve.

Makes 6 puff shells with chicken filling.



And now for some award business!

My good friend Michelle of Sweet Sensations presented me with a blog award. What an honor! These awards are given by our peers and are a great way to encourage all of us bloggers to keep up our hard work. It's great to know that people are getting enjoyment out of what we do.



I wanted to pass this along but it seems that all of the blogs that I frequent have already received it. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks highly of them.

Thanks Michelle!