It’s grilling time here in Northern California. While this normally means making up a batch of burgers or dogs to appease the always-starving hordes of small people running around our house, every once in a while it’s also time to get seriously creative and try something new and completely different.

This recipe is inspired completely by my wife.  We were discussing her preference for thinner burgers vs. the thick ones that my boys and I generally prefer when she stated matter-of-factly “If they’re stuffed I like them thick!  you should have tried the feta stuffed lamb burgers I had the other day. “

I couldn’t argue that feta stuffed lamb sounded amazing.  In fact, since I had a freezer full of ground lamb that had been diverted from another recipe I wasn’t equipped to handle right now, it sounded absolutely perfect.  Feta is always on hand and low and behold, I even had some buns tucked in a corner.

Armed with the most fantastic method from Savory Sweet Life on how to form the perfect patty (which is also the ultimate method for making a stuffed patty) and a circle cutter just slightly larger than the buns I was using, I set out.

This method of forming patties is remarkably simple and yields absolutely perfect, uniform patties every time.  My circle cutter is pretty tall, so we ended up with 4 very substantial patties.  If I’d used a lid as suggested in the original article I probably would have ended up with 6 or 8 but big is good when feeding pre-teens and I was happy with the results.

I decided that I needed something besides the standard lettuce, onion and tomato topping and opted for thin slices or cucumber and radish.  The boys still went for lettuce which is fine by me, but for my tastes these toppings were perfect.

Note, there were no condiments used here. These burgers were more than juicy enough to stand without them.  If you really must have some kind of sauce, try tzatziki or some yogurt with a squeeze of lemon juice and dill or mint.  You definitely don’t want to overpower the burgers themselves.

What’s your favorite grilling recipe?  Are you a burger and potato salad type or do you go for chicken, pork or ribs?  Have you ever made a stuffed burger? We’d love to know!

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Popularity: 8% [?]

Before anyone starts anything, I know that you probably have your own ideas on what makes the perfect grilled cheese sandwich and I’m pretty sure that this one isn’t it. For me though, nobody will ever make a more perfect grilled cheese sandwich than the one I’m discussing here.  Why?  Because my son made it and you can’t top my son’s very first grilled cheese sandwich for the perfect sandwich.

Sure, I helped a little and I stood by while he made it, but this is Lil’ E’s moment, not mine.  this almost 12 year-old is taking his first steps towards learning to be independent (and avoiding the pitfalls of an all fast food diet in college).  It’s an amazing thing to be the one teaching him  some of the skills that will help him through life. And he did a pretty darned good job for a first try, don’t you think?

Please be aware that I’m all for a panini-pressed masterpiece of good aged cheeses and all varieties of additions from ham to prosciutto or veggies and tomatoes, but around the Russell house a grilled cheese sandwich has a few well defined criteria:

1. It’s cooked in olive oil, not butter.  This makes for a crisp sandwich that isn’t slathered in butter.

2 .It must be over-stuffed with cheese.  Cheddar cheese. sharp cheddar is preferred

3. It also must be messy, gooey and dripping copious amounts of cheese all over the eater and the plate.

In all, you are free to have your grilled cheese in any manner you choose.  This particular sandwich will stand out in my memory as the best I’ve ever seen for quite some time, I’m sure.

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Popularity: 6% [?]

Please welcome my dear friend Jill McKeever of SimpleDailyRecipes.com.  We’re very happy to have her share her recipe for Duchess Potatoes here at CBSOP.

Take it away Jill!

Duchess Potatoes is an old recipe taken from a book our grandmothers would have trusted and relied upon for their dining dilemmas. Made from leftover mashed potatoes, this recipe transforms cold, thick mashed spuds into a light, fluffy, hard to stop eating, side dish. My kids could not get enough Duchess Potatoes. You should have seen their faces when the oven dish was empty. Oh wait, you’ll see the same expression on your kids when you make this dish.

HERE’S ALL IT TAKES

3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
2 egg yolks beaten well
1/4 cup fresh cream
grated cheese for topping (optional)

Heat oven to 425ºF.

Mix the mashed potatoes, beaten egg yolks and cream well. Pile lightly into a lightly greased shallow baking dish, top with grated cheese.
Bake in hot oven until browned, 10 to 15 minutes. It’s that simple.

Recipe and photo by Jill McKeever at SimpleDailyRecipes.com

Popularity: 4% [?]

Are you looking for something simple, satisfying and perfect for polite company or a living room full of game fans?  If so, I have just the recipe for you today.  It’s a mouthful of flavor in a small package.  The perfect finger food for a party of any kind.  In a word, it’s delectable.

I was thinking about the mushroom and Swiss burger at my favorite diner when I came up with this. It became something I just couldn’t shake.  I had to do something about the craving for mushrooms and cheese before it drove me mad (or to the Diner for a $9.00 burger plate I’d never be able to finish!)

The end result satisfied my cravings perfectly.  It also turned out to be an exceptional dish in its own right. It’s meaty, savory and perfect nosh food.  It’s good hot, great at room temperature and not too bad chilled.  the flavors are bold but the package is small, so there is no need to eat too much, just nibble to your heart’s content and enjoy the flavors.

One warning…  These are addictive, so you might want to make sure you have double the ingredients on hand, just in case…

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Popularity: 4% [?]

Summertime means family gatherings, barbecues, picnics and at least around here, any of the above combined with a trip to the lake. At almost any of these events you’re sure to find a version of the ubiquitous pasta salad.  It’s a perennial favorite, loved by young and old alike.  Often taken for granted, but a sure crowd pleaser nonetheless.

This particular version was crafted by the lovely and ever-talented Mrs. Seat of her Pants (with a tiny bit of help from yours truly) for the first barbecue in our new home. It was an instant hit with our family and raves about her cooking were topped only by the Oooh’s and Ahhhh’s in regards to the pork that had been smoking quietly all day. (6 lbs eaten at one party… It’s a record for me.)

So it’s with wishes of a wonderful summer with family and friends that I present our family’s favorite macaroni salad recipe.  I hope that whether you try this dish or not, your summer is filled with leisure, food, fun and times with loved ones that will be remembered for a lifetime.

Enjoy! Read more…

Popularity: 4% [?]

I’m enamored with frittatas.  Not only do you get all of the possibilities of an omelet, but you don’t have to worry about flipping it at the end.  Whatever you happen to have hanging out in the fridge or the pantry is fair game, work is minimal and the result is good hot from the oven or at room temperature. Frittata can be breakfast, brunch, an appetizer, a starter or the main course of any dinner, they are that versatile.

While all frittata recipes are similar, each variation has its own special little variations, which is why you’ll see so many different recipes for this dilectable dish out there.  This one came from two distinct needs.  The first was to get some food in me because I was starving.  The other was to find a use for some bacon left over from some wraps I whipped up the night before. In both cases this dish was imminently satisfactory.

If you’ve never thought of pairing eggs with broccoli, give it a whirl!  Broccoli and cheddar frittatas are one of my go-to early morning meals, both because I love them and because they can be baking away while I deal with morning dishes and my son’s breakfast.  By the time I’m done, breakfast is ready for Dad as well.  You can’t beat that for simple and convenient.

Do you have a favorite frittata recipe? If so, why not share it in the comments, there’s always room for another great frittata recipe.

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Popularity: 3% [?]

Fettuccine Alfredo is one of Italy’s most wondrous exports. A perfect pairing of rich, creamy sauce and perfectly cooked pasta that serves equally well as a main dish or as a side to nearly anything you feel like serving with it.  It’s complex yet simple,  filling and decadent.  What could be more wonderful?

Now what if I told you that every recipe that you’ve probably ever seen for Fettuccine Alfredo was wrong?  What if I told you that it was probably the most simple dish in the world to make?  What if I told you that Mr. Alfredo’s Fettuccine has been done a glaring disservice by a million cooks, including renown chefs around the world.  Would you believe me?

If you won’t believe me, would you believe Saveur magazine? Their May issue features an article by Tod Coleman titled “The Real Alfredo”, which details the history and creation of this iconic dish from its birth just after the turn of the century.  Alfredo, it seems, created the dish for his wife, who had lost her appetite after giving birth to their son.  His modified Fettuccine al Burro featured far more butter than the original, a combination that “…neither his wife or his customers could resist.”

While most versions I’ve seen are fairly complex and require a fair bit of attention to detail, the original Fettuccine Alfredo has just four ingredients and takes mere minutes to make, but results in a dish far more complex and wondrous than any Alfredo I’ve ever eaten in an Italian Restaurant anywhere… Ever. And I’ve eaten a lot.

So please be so kind as to take a moment to meet the real Alfredo.  You’ll never think of this dish the same way again.  But you may find you eat a lot more of it.

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Popularity: 50% [?]

I can’t remember the first time my mother brought home a tub of Rondelé cheese, but from the moment she did, I was hooked.  We all were.  It was the staple on wheat crackers in our home for years.  It was used with vegetable platters, smeared on sourdough with salami and a favorite at parties.  It only took one taste.

Of course, not every store carries this delicately herbed cream cheese, nor its it carried in all regions.  I have not been able to find a good quality replacement in Texas, though I’m sure it exists somewhere.  The thing is, I’m not looking any more.  It’s so easy to make that I’ll never buy the ready-made version again.

This particular version was made to go with a wrap we made for a friend’s commissioning reception, but it would be fabulous with any savory accompaniment. The flavors can easily be adjusted to suit your needs or be made with what you have on hand, so there really is no excuse not to give it a try the next time you have a need for a dip or spread that’s a little bit different from the fare found at the local BigScaryMegaMart.  I hope you enjoy this as much as everyone at the reception did.

Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 – 8 oz container cream cheese, softened
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder

Method:

Mix milk and cream cheese together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment until creamy. Add remaining ingredients and mix well, scraping sides of bowl constantly.

Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least one hour to allow the flavors to blend.

Use as cheese dip, or spread on crostini, for wraps or wherever else you would use flavored cream cheese.

Share and enjoy!

What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:

The possibilities for flavors is pretty much limited only by your imagination.  Adjust herbs and garlic to suit the dish you are making.  Dill for fish, mint for lamb or heavier, more savory herbs for beef.  Add in some sun-dried tomatoes and use as topping for toast points, crostini or as a dip for crackers.  It’s really up to what you want at the time.

Links to other recipes like this:

• Herbed Cream Cheese, from The Crispy Cook
• Herbed Cream Cheese Spread or Dip, from Seasonal Ontario Food
• Herb Garlic Cream Cheese, from Chaos in the Kitchen

Popularity: 6% [?]

Have you ever wondered what to do with a leftover ham, especially through the Holidays?  If you’re like us and prefer to have ham on the table for Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as a turkey or roast beef (Or whatever your tradition happens to be), then this quick little throw together might be just what you’ve been looking for as a way to get a bit of new life out of some of your leftover holiday feast.

Almost everyone has a few boxes of mac-n-cheese stuffed somewhere in their pantries.  You may not use it regularly, but I’m sure its in there somewhere.  This recipe calls for two standard sized boxes, but hey, I’m not going to say you can’t make your own Mac and Cheese and make this up either.  It would surely be better, but I always have the boxed stuff, because my son doesn’t prefer homemade yet.

So with a few boxes of noodles, a bit of cheese leftover from an Antipasto platter that I made, a bag of frozen broccoli and a bit of this and that, you can have a beautiful comfort food meal on the table and go through some of those leftovers in the process.  Not a bad deal, is it?

And did I mention that this is freaking wonderful?  It really is.  We actually ate the leftovers of the leftover solution for lunch the next day…  Yup.  It’s that good.

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Popularity: 6% [?]

From the lost recipe files:  I found the pics for this hanging out in a folder from JUNE!  Luckily, I still remember how I made the dish.

As Italian chefs the world over will tell you, the key behind a great pasta dish is that no one ingredient ever overloads any of the others, and that the pasta is truly supposed to be the star of the show.  This is one dish that follows those guidelines, even with the strong flavors of bacon and greens tossed into the mix.

The secret with this or any other pasta dish is to make sure that you add just enough sauce to coat the pasta, not drown it. This may go against the American tradition of dumping a full three cups of sauce over the top of a quarter pound of noodles, then topping it with some form of meatball, but believe me, it’s worth the restraint.

Let’s revisit summer, shall we?

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Popularity: 3% [?]