Ham & Dijion Grilled Cheese with Compound Butter and..... Apricot Browned Butter Granola

It’s recipe time again. I am one of eight bloggers to have been asked (hired) to create recipes involving my second favorite dairy product ever after cheese- butter. We all know that cheese is #1 on this blog, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the main reason I include bread in my life is to serve as a vehicle for my butter. I am also a butter freak.

Anyhow, I’ll be creating 2-4 new recipes for the Go Bold with Butter blog every month, and I’ll share them here. Check out the rest of the blogger recipes too- there are some awesome ones. I’ll post the ones that include cheese on this blog and then link to others that don’t (so there won’t be too much non-cheese cross pollination). We’ll get you your cheese recipe fix again. I’m actually pretty excited about this- I love creating recipes, and this gives me the perfect opportunity to do more of it.

It’s recipe time again. As I divulged in my last recipe post, I am one of eight bloggers to have been hired through a partnership between Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and America’s Dairy Farmers to create recipes involving my second favorite dairy product ever after cheese- butter. We all know that cheese is #1 on this blog, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the main reason I include bread in my life is to serve as a vehicle for my butter. I am a butter freak.

Anyhow, I'm creating 2-4 new recipes for the Go Bold with Butter blog every month, and I’ll share them here too. Check out the rest of the blogger recipes- there are some awesome ones. I’ll post the ones that I've created  that include cheese on this blog and then link to others that don’t (so there won’t be too much non-cheese cross pollination, in case there are tender dairy hearts reading).

Here goes:

Ham & Dijion Grilled Cheese with Compound Butter

I’d never turn down a grilled cheese sandwich for lack of innovation. In its most fulfilling, basic, loving incarnation, bells and whistles would just get in the way. Sometimes all you want is a heck of a lot of melted cheese between two incredibly buttery pieces of toasted bread.

Other times, you want a little extra oomph with your cheese. When I want to move beyond my childhood favorite’s most basic delicious form, I involve ham, Dijon mustard and herb butter.

Pick a good ham- maybe applewood smoked, maybe just a basic cure, but choose one with few preservatives. The Dijon can be whole-grain or smooth, whatever your tastes dictates, and the herbs should always be fresh. If you can’t find tarragon, substitute chervil or sage. Keep any leftover compound butter for future cooking- adding a dab of it to finished sauces or pastas is a simple way to enhance a dish.

Recipe

Grilled Cheese with Herbed Butter, Dijon and Ham

Serves 4

Herbed butter

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

½ teaspoon ground pepper

Grilled Cheese

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

8 pieces Italian or French batard bread, sliced ½ inch thick

8 ounces grated Gruyere-style cheese

8 ounces thinly sliced ham

2 teaspoons room temperature butter

salt to taste

Mix the butter, herbs and pepper together in a small bowl until blended well. Set aside.

Butter one side of four pieces of bread lightly with the herb butter. Spread a teaspoon of Dijon over one side of the remaining slices of unbuttered bread. Each sandwich will get one buttered slice and one Dijon slice. Portion out the cheese, 2 ounces per sandwich. Put 1 ounce of grated cheese over each sandwich’s buttered slice and 1 ounce over the Dijon slice. Then, put two ounces of ham over whichever slice you’d like, then close the sandwich so the ham is in the middle.

Lightly butter the outside of the sandwich slices with the herb butter, being sure to cover all the way to the crusty edges of the bread.

Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Place the sandwiches in the pan and press down firmly with a spatula. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle the sandwiches lightly with salt. Flip when the first side is golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add another teaspoon of butter to the pan, and repeat with the second side. The sandwich is ready when both pieces of bread are golden brown and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Apricot Brown Butter Granola:

linked here.

Don't Call it a Come Back: Cheesy Recipes Return

It’s been a while since I posted recipes on “It’s Not You, It’s Brie.” When I get busy, as freelancers often do, I fall out of the habit. It’s not that I haven’t been cooking or cooking with cheese, it’s just that sometimes when I’m absorbed in cooking, especially as a release, I forget to wipe off my cheesy kitchen fingers and record what I’m doing.

But now dear readers, things have changed. I am one of _____ bloggers to have been asked (hired) to create recipes involving my second dairy product ever after cheese- butter. We all know that cheese is #1 on this blog, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the main reason I include bread in my life is to serve as a vehicle for my butter.

Anyhow, I’ll be creating 2-4 new recipes for the Butter Blog every month, and I’ll share them all here. I’ll post the ones that include cheese on this blog and include links to the others that don’t so there won’t be too much non-cheese cross pollination. We’ll get your cheese recipe fix again. I’m actually pretty excited about this- I love creating recipes, and this gives me the perfect excuse to do more of it.

Hope you enjoy them.

It’s been a while since I posted recipes on “It’s Not You, It’s Brie.” When I get busy, as freelancers often do, I fall out of the habit. It’s not that I haven’t been cooking or cooking with cheese, it’s just that sometimes when I’m absorbed in cooking, especially as a release, I forget to wipe off my cheesy kitchen fingers and record what I’m doing.

But now dear readers, things have changed. It's recipe time again. I am one of eight bloggers to have been asked (hired) to create recipes involving my second favorite dairy product ever after cheese- butter. We all know that cheese is #1 on this blog, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the main reason I include bread in my life is to serve as a vehicle for my butter. I am also a butter freak.

Anyhow, I’ll be creating 2-4 new recipes for the Go Bold with Butter blog every month, and I’ll share them here. Check out the rest of the blogger recipes too- there are some awesome ones. I’ll post the ones that include cheese on this blog and then link to others that don’t (so there won’t be too much non-cheese cross pollination). We’ll get you your cheese recipe fix again. I’m actually pretty excited about this- I love creating recipes, and this gives me the perfect opportunity to do more of it.

Caramelized Onion and Potato Mac n’ Cheese sitting up there in the picture

This is the ultimate wintery mac n’ cheese. With plenty of cozy carbs and soothing rosemary flavors, this cheesy dish will keep you warmer than a down coat in your grocery store’s freezer aisle. The Gouda cheese adds a sweet caramel flavor to this already comforting potato and pasta blend. Serve with a light salad made with bitter greens or kale to offset the richness, and you’ll have yourself a meal that both warms and nourishes.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 pound russet potato

5 tablespoons salted butter, divided

2 large yellow onions, sliced thin

2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

12 ounces (about 3 cups) Gouda cheese, grated

8 ounces dry elbow pasta, cooked according to package directions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cut the unpeeled potato once lengthwise. Set the sliced side down on the cutting board, then slice again lengthwise. Cut those pieces into 1/3-inch slices.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add the onions and cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally to lightly brown. Add potatoes and rosemary and cook for ten more minutes. If the potatoes start to stick to the bottom of the pan while cooking, add a tablespoon of water as needed to loosen. Set aside.

Cook the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and flour in a large heavy bottomed saucepan over low heat for five minutes, being careful to mix well, especially around the edges of the pan. Add 1/4 cup milk and whisk thoroughly so there are no lumps. Repeat. Add the remainder of the milk, mix well, bring to a low boil over medium heat, then lower to simmer. Add salt and pepper. Cook for seven minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add all but 3 tablespoons of the cheese to the milk and stir until almost melted. Add the onion and potato mixture to the milk and stir. Add the pasta and stir. Pour into a two-quart casserole dish, top with the remainder of the cheese.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sauce starts to firm and the top is golden brown and crusty. Remove from oven and wait to let cool for five minutes before serving.

Lentil Frisée Salad and Warm Butter Vinaigrette

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