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“Candy Cookies” – No Bake Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookies (With Gluten-Free Option)

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Candy Cookies or No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

Over the years, I have baked, sliced, cut, and molded every kind of cookie imaginable. Given that I am the human equivalent of Cookie Monster who also happens to love to bake – this is completely understandable. Expected, even.

What isn’t understandable or expected, however, is the fact that one of my absolute favorite cookies is one of the simplest.

What’s more, it doesn’t even have to be baked. No need to turn the oven on for these guys!

Most people refer to this type of cookie as “No Bake Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookies” or “Haystacks.” When my daughters were little, I would actually shape them into little haystacks because they got such a kick out of how they looked.

Today, however, I just drop them by a tablespoon onto parchment paper and allow them to spread. I have always referred to them as “Cookies that are Really Candy,” I recently began calling them Candy Cookies. By gosh… that’s what they are after all!

Below is the easy as it gets recipe.

Notes:

  • For gluten-free cookies, use gluten-free oats. I use Quaker Gluten-Free 1 Minute Quick Oats… available online or in just about any store.
  • If you want “haystacks,” use a teaspoon when you drop onto the paper. As the mixture cools, shape the cookies into cute little haystacks.
  • For the “Candy Cookies” pictured here, use a tablespoon to drop the mixture onto the parchment paper.
  • Keeping the ingredients for these cookies on hand at all times is always the right thing to do – especially during the months leading up to Christmas. You never know when you’ll need to whip up a batch of something delicious to give as a “Well.. of course I got you something too!” gift. Been there, cooked that.

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"Candy Cookies" - No Bake Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookies

Category: Candy, Christmas Recipes, Cookies, Quick and Easy Recipes

"Candy Cookies" - No Bake Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

  • 3 cups white sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 cups peanut butter
  • 4-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (I use Quaker Gluten-Free Oats)

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan *over medium heat) - combine sugar, butter, and milk.
  2. Bring to a rapid boil and boil for 1 minute. A rapid boil doesn't just mean when it "comes to a boil." You need for it to be boiling all across the top at a frenzied pace.
  3. Remove from the heat.
  4. Add the vanilla and peanut butter and stir well.
  5. Mix in the oats - stir to combine well.
  6. Drop mixture by spoonfuls onto waxed or parchment paper.
  7. Allow to cool until set.

I preach a lot about parchment paper and it’s many, many, many, many wonders but, when it comes to candy and cookies, it is all but downright necessary. I give a lot of my candy and cookies to family members and having parchment paper on hand to put between layers makes my life easier and everything neater for those who dive right in!

Seriously, once you start using parchment paper regularly, you’ll wonder how in the world you ever got along without it.

Easy Christmas Cookies

Protein Sources for Vegans (Infographic)

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When my beautiful middle daughter, Brittany, was 12, she decided she no longer wanted to eat meat. It actually began to nauseate her to even look at meat. I thought it was adorable when she announced that she never wanted to eat anything “…that once had a face.” I said, “Fair enough!” and launched into in-depth research of healthy eating for vegetarians and vegans (assuming that could be a future choice). My main concern was protein because, let’s face it, we all associate protein with meat and meat with protein.

I was delighted (then and now) that there are so many sources of protein that never had a face.

I began making and buying black bean burgers, nuts by the pound, and even more vegetables than I already did. Brittany’s vegetarianism, in my opinion, helped make me a better (and healthier) cook. What some may have viewed as a “problem” or “headache” was actually a positive for our family. She has stuck with her vegetarianism and I have stuck with a very healthy obsession with vegetables!

You can most certainly have a healthy diet if you are a vegetarian or even a vegan. You simply have to make certain you are as conscientious and passionate about what you INCLUDE as you are about what you EXCLUDE.

The wonderful infographic below, from Snap Kitchen, sums it up beautifully. It also has made me pretty darn hungry for a great salad with chickpeas and nuts… so I’ll just wrap things up…

Infographic Source: Snap Kitchen


A Wonderful Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Cookbook: Whole Bowls by Allison Day

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Whole Bowls Cookbook by Allison Day

Whole Bowls Cookbook by Allison Day

When I had to quit eating wheat and gluten (as well as cooking, baking, smelling, and dreaming about them), I had to adopt and adapt. Adopt a new way of eating, cooking, and serving meals and adapt to every single change or be a miserable cuss.

I have no intention of being a miserable cuss… so adapt, I did!

One of my favorite sanity savers and means of serving meals became (and remains) “Bowls.”  Some call them Buddha Bowls and others call them even fancier names. Me.. well I’m a simple gal from Kentucky, so Bowls suits me just fine.

My middle daughter, Brittany (who happens to be a beautiful vegetarian – more on that in a minute), knew how much Bowls mean to me and gifted me with the gorgeous cookbook you see here, “Whole Bowls: Complete Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Meals to Power Your Day.” This cookbook could not be more up my alley! Not only are there MANY (countless, really) great gluten-free recipes but they’re ALSO vegetarian, meaning I can make them for Brittany to enjoy as well.

Only fair, right? After all, she bought the book!

Above, I referred to the recipes in this cookbook as “countless.” Obviously, the actual recipes can be counted – I’ll tell you why I insist on calling them countless! Each and every recipe in Whole Bowls can be tweaked and switched up to your individual tastes. For example, “Loaded Baked Potatoes with Baked Beans and the Works” (page 157), calls for russet potatoes, you can easily use sweet potatoes. If a recipe calls for quinoa, you can use brown rice.. if a recipe calls for white rice, you could use cauliflower rice… and on and on. I would recommend making each recipe exactly as given – but, after that, get creative. It’s your Bowl, after all!

There are also recipes for out of this world sauces that can be incorporated into the bowls they’re recommended for as well as other bowl recipes (whether in or out of this particular cookbook). A few of the sauces are Pumpkin Seed Sauce, Homemade Mayonnaise, Balsamic Glaze, and a Chive Oil (page 109) that is extraordinary on just about anything and everything. In fact, I have a special glass bottle in my Amazon cart I’m buying solely for keeping some of this oil made up and handy.

I love that author Allison Day has made Whole Foods such a gorgeous cookbook (they’re somehow more enjoyable to use, aren’t they?) and that the recipes are completely gluten-free. I also love that they’re basic – deliciously creative, but yet “doable.”

{Continued Below…}

Other AMAZING Recipes Include:

  • Mac and Cheese with Smoked Tofu and Baked Tomatoes
  • Mediterranean Pasta with Arugula, Peas, Yellow Tomatoes, and Feta
  • Roasted Pears with Whipped Goat Cheese and Maple Pine Nut Brittle
  • Hummus
  • Coconut Dreamy Whip
  • Homemade Nut Butter
  • Spring Rice Bowls with Chive Oil
  • Holiday Bowls with Stuffing, Sweet Potato Latkes, Brussels Sprouts, and Balsamic Glaze
  • Greek Mushrooms Stifado with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
  • Miso Meal in a Bowl
  • Black Beans with Butternut Squash, Black Rice, and Chimichurri
  • Three Bean Garden Salad with Asparagus and Coconut Dressing
  • Curried Falafel with Kale Salad
  • Winter Chopped Salad
  • South of the Border Bowls with Walnut Meat and Grilled Avocado
  • And many, many, many more creative, delicious, and nutritious recipes.

About the Author


Whether you choose to eat gluten-free or the choice has been made for you, you will absolutely love Whole Bowls. For that matter, you’ll love it if you eat gluten with wild abandon! This is just a fun, exciting, and delicious cookbook. I highly recommend it to everyone.

{A few more words about Bowls below the picture…}

Bowl

A few tips I’ve picked up along the path of my relationship with Bowls:

  • If you’ve given up wheat/gluten for health reasons, to cut calories, or because you’re on a particular “diet,” you don’t have to give up flavors because of it. Get creative! Sloppy Joes, for example don’t have to have buns – they can just as easily be served over potatoes (baked, mashed, roasted..) in a bowl with pickles and onions on the side. Same with Pulled Pork or any other “sandwich” you need to deconstruct. Even Egg Rolls can be deconstructed and presented, beautifully, in bowls.
  • We all know how nutritious vegetables are or us. I won’t insult your intelligence or bore you unmercifully by going into their virtues. One of the wonderful things about Bowls is that you can “sneak” beautiful, colorful, and healthy vegetables in to the mix without compromising the taste. I love to keep avocados on hand because they add SO MUCH to bowls. They look great, taste great, and are healthy to boot.
  • Spiralized vegetables aren’t just beautiful in Bowls, they’re also filling and fun to eat. Kids, especially, love different sizes, shapes, and textures.
  • Roasted vegetables are also fun to throw into Bowls – they give a delicious contrast in flavors alongside cooked or raw vegetables and grains.
  • Bowls are IDEAL for those of us who keep and insist on using leftovers. Leftover corn is one of my favorite things to pop into bowls.
  • A “mock” KFC Chicken Bowl technique I love – Put Mashed Potatoes into the bowl(s), top with cooked yellow corn, chicken (omit if you choose), and brown gravy. I love to make and add a little vinegar coleslaw to the side, too. It’s outrageously good.
  • When buying bowls for… well… Bowls… look for wide-open bowls, usually called pasta or salad bowls.  Bowls can make a gorgeous presentation – I like to use white bowls, often, but have also fallen in love with colorful ones.
  • Bowls are ideal for breakfast, lunch, and supper. Breakfast bowls are another favorite. Potatoes, bacon or sausage, eggs, broccoli, and cauliflower bowls make a breakfast that’s worth getting out of bed early for even on a Saturday.
  • Once you go down the Bowls rabbit hole, you’ll wonder what took you so long! Again, Whole Bowls is a wonderful source for inspiration and countless ideas.


Gluten-Free Bean Burritos, Enchilada-Style!

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Refried Bean Burritos Enchilada Style.

Refried Bean Burritos Enchilada Style

Needless to say, even though these Enchilada-Style Refried Bean Burritos are gluten-free, you can certainly make them with all the gluten your heart desires. Simply replace the gluten-free flour tortillas with regular tortillas (when you do, you’ll certainly save money!).

These bean burritos are delicious, as well as quick and easy to make. You can customize them to suit your family’s taste, of course. They’re wonderful topped with chopped avocado, chopped green onions, and/or cilantro – I kept them simple in the picture at the top because I was making them for a group of family members and you know how that goes – this one doesn’t like onion, that one doesn’t like avocado, the other one (silly goose) thinks cilantro tastes like soap.

He’s wrong, of course!

I like to serve these with mini bowls of

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Gluten-Free Bean Burritos, Enchilada-Style!

Category: Quick and Easy Recipes, Vegetarian Dishes

Refried Bean Burritos Enchilada Style.

Ingredients

  • Two 16 oz cans Refried Beans (traditional style - not low fat)
  • 10 oz can diced tomatoes with chiles
  • 6 Mission Gluten-Free Flour Tortillas (or brand of your choice)
  • 15 ounce Mild Red (or Green) Enchilada Sauce
  • 2 cups Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
  • Pinch of Salt and Pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray (be certain it's gluten-free if you have to eat gluten-free).
  3. Place the refried beans and tomatoes with chiles in a large skillet over medium heat.
  4. Heat for 5 minutes.
  5. Place a spoonful of the hot bean mixture into the center of each tortilla. Top with a little of the shredded cheese. (OPTIONAL: At this point, they are also delicious if you add a little sauteed onion!)
  6. Fold into burrito shapes and place seam side down into your baking dish.
  7. Top with enchilada sauce and shredded cheese.
  8. Bake for 20 minutes.
  9. Serve warm - either as they are or with chopped cilantro, avocado, and/or green onions on top.
  10. Wonderful to serve with mini bowls of sour cream, salsa, salsa verde and/or picante sauce available.

Southern Green Beans

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Southern Green Beans

Southern Green Beans

Southern green bean recipes differ from cook to cook – often in the same family! For example, if my grandmother or mom had known I’d one day grow up to put chicken broth in my green beans, they’d have passed out Old-Hollywood-style.

But, what can I say? Years ago, when I saw how much FLAVOR adding chicken broth to rice created, I began experimenting and, lo and behold, it adds a beautiful flavor to almost anything.

Including green beans.

Naturally, if you want to go with all water (as opposed to half water/half broth), go for it. They’re your beans, after all!

I love to add a little dash of red pepper flakes toward the end – if you go easy, the heat is barely noticeable. It adds a new level of flavor without setting your tongue on fire. I’ve never tried this recipe with canned beans, so I have no idea how they’d turn out. Buying fresh takes a little more time (since they don’t snip or snap themselves), but it is SO worth it.

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Southern Green Beans

Category: Beans, Southern Cooking, Vegetables

Southern Green Beans

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs green beans (ends snipped and snapped in half)
  • 5 slices bacon, diced
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tstp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp seasoned salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp onion powder
  • (optional) a few shakes of red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Fry the bacon until crisp.
  2. Remove the bacon (but keep it!) from the pan, reserving the grease.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bacon grease.
  4. Bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  6. When ready to serve, crumble half the bacon on top and gently stir. Place the rest of the bacon on top - you know, for a picture-worthy display!

Southern Green Beans


Gluten-Free Black Bean Burgers

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Gluten-Free Black Bean Burgers and an “Olive Garden” Style Salad

One of my three beautiful daughters is a vegetarian, so I’m more than a little familiar with protein patties and “fake” hamburgers. In fact, I used to love them almost as much as she does! However, when I had to give up gluten/wheat, it meant giving these up as well.

Thankfully there are some outstanding gluten-free breadcrumbs on the market, so I can make my own black bean burgers anytime I feel the urge… which is often because I am addicted to them.

I make black bean burgers differently almost each time I make them, but the recipe below (the way I made them this afternoon) is my favorite. It has the most flavor and I love the  combination of bell pepper and red onion. The Worcestershire sauce (use Lea & Perrins if you have to eat gluten-free) also adds a little extra something something.

{Below is the recipe, if you simply want to see it! More about gluten-free black bean burger options below the recipe, if you’re interested…}

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Black Bean Burgers

Category: Gluten Free, Vegetarian Dishes

Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients

  • 1 (14 oz) can black beans (drained, rinsed, and left in a colander to dry)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs (I use Kroger brand)
  • 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 tsp chopped garlic from a jar
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
  • Dash of hot sauce
  • salt & pepper

Instructions

  1. Drain the can of black beans and rinse. Let them sit in the colander over the sink while you gather the rest of the ingredients.
  2. Mash the beans, coarsely - I actually like to keep some whole. I've used various "mashers" and techniques over the years, but my favorite is the good old reliable pastry cutter.
  3. Add the eggs, seasonings, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, garlic, onion, and bell pepper.
  4. Mix well.
  5. Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in your skillet - over medium high heat.
  6. Form the mixture into patties - whatever size you prefer. Some people like them hamburger-size, some prefer them smaller (for wraps or even salads).
  7. Fry the black bean patties until browned on each side.
  8. Serve on buns, bread, in wraps, or (my favorite) alongside a great salad.

While most people prefer black bean burgers on buns, toasted bread, or in wraps, I prefer mine alongside soup or a salad. For whatever reasons, I’m just not a big sandwich person – but soup or salad? ALL DAY!

For my black bean burgers (and meatballs and salmon patties, too, for that matter), I always use Kroger’s Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs (the original version for black bean burgers and salmon patties, the Italian Seasoning for meatballs.). If you don’t have a Kroger near you, there are other gluten-free breadcrumbs on the market. If all else fails, make your own!

When I make black bean burgers, I never saute the vegetables beforehand, simply because I like the crunch and texture. If you had rather your vegetables be softer, saute them first. Your burgers, your call, by gosh. Speaking of which, feel free add or subtract the vegetables and even seasonings I’ve used. This combination, in my opinion, makes the most flavorful black bean burgers – and, trust me, you don’t get heat from the hot sauce… just flavor.

One final thought about black bean burgers – they’re an EXCELLENT go-to burger if you’re trying to completely give up meat or simply trying to eat less meat. When you add the toppings you normally would to a burger, black bean burgers almost always satisfy the “meat cravings” people normally experience.

 

 

Homemade Vegetable Broth for Thanksgiving Dressing

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Vegetables for Vegetable Broth

One of my daughters, Brittany, has been a committed vegetarian since she was 12 years old. It began with eating the top part of tacos while leaving the meat at the bottom untouched and with eating everything on her plate except for the meat. I asked her, very matter of factly, about it one day – not wanting to make a mountain of what may have been a molehill.

Spoiler alert – it was not a molehill.

She adorably told me, “I don’t want to ever eat anything that once had a face.” I told her that it was her decision to make and that I was on her side. If she didn’t want to eat anything that once had a face, no one… and I mean no one… was ever going to make her.

I read up on protein,vegetarianism, health concerns AND benefits, etc. We became black bean burger experts and, truth be told, the whole family surely benefited from the increased veggies in the kitchen. I made certain then and I make certain now that anything I cook for her doesn’t contain any ingredients that… well… once had a face.

One of the biggest areas of concern (for me anyway as a cook) has been replacing chicken broth in the food I make for her. It adds SO MUCH FLAVOR! Store-bought vegetable broth simply cannot compare. That’s why I prefer to make my own vegetable stock to use for her dressing at Thanksgiving. She’s a huge, huge, huge fan of garlic and flavorful herbs, so I can add those in and give her the layers of flavor she loves.

And no faces.

The recipe below really isn’t a recipe as much as it is a technique because it’s so customizable. If you’re using a vegetable broth for soup or stew, you might want to leave out the sage and replace it with thyme or basil. However, for Thanksgiving stuffing, don’t dare leave out the sage.

While I’ve said (in the recipe below) to simmer for 30 minutes, I actually turn the heat down and simmer for longer. Why? I love for the kitchen to smell like Thanksgiving! Naturally, you can’t simmer too long, however, or your broth will cook away. The house will smell like Autumn Heaven, but you’ll be left with a tablespoon of broth.

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Homemade Vegetable Broth for Thanksgiving Dressing

Category: Christmas Recipes, Soup, Stew and Chili, Thanksgiving Recipes, Vegetarian Dishes

Vegetables for Vegetable Broth

Ingredients

  • 1 large Sweet Onion
  • 2 cups Chopped Celery
  • Celery tops
  • 20 Baby Carrots (halved or left whole)
  • 9-10 Cloves Garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • Twig of Rosemary
  • Twig of Thyme
  • 3 Sage Leaves
  • 1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 8 Cups Water

Instructions

  1. Clean and chop (coarsely) the vegetables.
  2. Heat EVOO in a soup pot.
  3. Add vegetables and herbs to the EVOO and cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes, stirring often.
  4. Add salt and water. Bring to a boil.
  5. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes (uncovered).
  6. Strain and throw out (or eat!) the vegetables.
  7. Store your broth in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Vegetables for Vegetable Broth Vegetables for Vegetable Broth

Best Fudgy Brownie Frosting Recipe – You’ll Want to Eat it Straight Out of the Pan

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Brownies Baked in a Pie Plate with Fudgy Brownie Frosting

Brownies, Baked in Pie Plates and Frosted with a Fudgy Frosting

A few weeks ago, a familiar mood hit me… an “I MUST MAKE SOMETHING CHOCOLATE!” mood that has come to define me. I mulled over the usual cast of chocolate characters – chocolate cupcakes, chocolate cake, cookies, brownies, and fudge. Brownies won and I started rounding up the needed ingredients.

I found that I didn’t have any walnuts, but decided to forge right ahead in spite of the absence of a favorite brownie ingredient. I decided (as I always do when my brownies won’t have nuts) that I’d simply make a fudgy chocolate frosting for the brownies and the absence of walnuts wouldn’t even be missed.

I was right.

As I was mentally dreading the all too familiar brownie-baking-battle (trying to get the center SET without the corners becoming so hard they could knock out a mouse), I had an idea. Why not divide the brownie batter in two and bake them in pie plates?

I didn’t know of any mice who needed konking, so I grabbed a couple of glass pie plates, greased them, and proceeded just as I would if I’d been using a square pan.

I seriously doubt I’ll ever bake brownies in a square pan again.

Brownies Baked in a Pie Plate with Fudgy Brownie Frosting

Pie Plates Keep The Crusty Corners Out of the Picture!

The outside, smaller cuts were triangular (a small price to pay for having the outside of brownies that are just as moist and delicious as the center pieces) but the rest were able to be cut into squares – you’d never know they were baked in a pie dish.

I made my favorite Fudgy Brownie Frosting and iced them once they cooled off. They were outstanding.

If you attempt the pie plates method with your favorite brownie recipe (or mix), just be sure to start checking on them before the traditional time limit. They tend to cook a little faster when they’re divided into two separate dishes.

I made a single batch of the Fudgy Brownie Frosting and it was just enough for the two pie plates of deliciousness. If you’re making a large batch of brownies, you might want to double the recipe. This is chocolate deliciousness at it’s finest!

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Fudgy Brownie Frosting Recipe

Category: Chocolate!, Desserts, Quick and Easy Recipes

Brownies Baked in a Pie Plate with Fudgy Brownie Frosting

Ingredients

  • 3 Tablespoons Butter (not margarine)
  • 1-1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Whole Milk
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Tablespoons Cocoa

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Be careful not to let it brown.
  2. Add cocoa to the melted butter and remove the pan from the heat.
  3. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
  4. Stir until smooth.
  5. Carefully spread over the brownies.
  6. Lick the spoon and don't burn yourself while trying to get every drop from the sides of the pan (been there, done that).

 

 

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Cookbook

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Is anyone even half as ready for autumn and winter as I am? Don’t get me wrong, I love a lot of things about summer – baseball, fresh produce, songbirds at my bird feeders that aren’t there in cold weather, grilling out, and so on. Summer’s awesome in every way… but, having said that, autumn and winter are super special.

As a foodie, the cooler months make me think of soup, stew, chili, casseroles, chai tea lattes, and (of course) Halloween goodies, Thanksgiving dishes, and Christmas baking… how could a foodie NOT love this time of year???

I may be one of the biggest soup fanatics in the world, which is one of the reasons I’m excited about a new cookbook I was sent to review: 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Naturally, grilled cheese sandwiches are perfect all year. We certainly eat them year-round in our house. In fact, we’ve been known to enjoy grilled cheese sandwiches at all times of the day and night.  Talk about a delicious comfort food.  Cheesy deliciousness that comes together pretty darn fast – sign me up.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches is a perfect guide to getting extra creative with this wonderful comfort food.  Although the modern version of the grilled cheese sandwich dates back to 1920 (when it became popular during the great depression, for obvious reasons), these delicious and inexpensive delicacies are currently a popular trend in cooking.  I think one of the reasons is the fact that they aren’t expensive to pull together.  I think the popularity of food trucks has also helped revive this wonderful sandwich.

Some people are even calling the grilled cheese sandwich the “new burger.”  The fact that so many people are eating less meat is another reason these sandwiches are so wildly popular.

From the Back Cover: A grilled cheese sandwich is classic comfort food and it’s enjoying an incredible resurgence in popularity. These fabulous recipes all begin with the grilled cheese we all know and love, and then from there, creative twists showcase just how incredibly versatile this sandwich can be.  The recipes reflect an almost endless and delicious variety of choices that include simple and timeless as well as gourmet and artisanal. From breakfast to dessert, there’s something for everyone in this book.

Another reason grilled cheese sandwiches are so popular is, let’s face it, they’re fast and easy to make.  You can have a warm, delicious, and comforting meal in a matter of minutes. This is one of the reasons they’re so popular with bachelors, college students, and beginner cooks.

Whether you enjoy your grilled cheese sandwiches with soup (one of my favorite meals), chips, or alone, nothing beats a great grilled cheese sandwich.

As I’ve probably mentioned on the food blog, when I had to totally give up wheat and gluten a number of years ago (health reasons), it threw my cooking persona into a tailspin. Imagine everything you are accustomed to cooking and baking for your family and yourself thrown out the door. Then finding yourself having to start over, pretty much, and discover a whole new way of both cooking and eating.

BUMMER!

It’s a hideous predicament for anyone but for an avid cook and food blogger who was extra keen on homemade breads, cornbread, cakes from scratch, pies, etc.. it knocked me on my backside for a bit. However, I (honestly) found out that many aspects of gluten-free food are actually as good as their gluten-y counterparts and some are even better in many ways.

For example, for whatever reasons, gluten-free fried catfish is actually better.  Don’t ask me why (please), but the combo of rice flour and yellow cornmeal makes the best fried catfish in the world. Trust me, this is a personal favorite and something I’ve been cooking since I was allowed to touch the stove.

Grilled cheese sandwiches have been another pleasant surprise (along with French Toast, for that matter). Gluten-Free bread, in my opinion, makes them even better. I think it’s because they’re denser and, sometimes, thicker, than regular bread. Then again, Texas Toast is a great way to go with grilled cheese sandwiches.

150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches includes so many creative, fun, and delicious recipes you won’t stop until you’ve made them all.  The cheese combinations, along with the additions of complimentary ingredients will boggle your mind.  I cook every single day (and have for years) and consider myself to be really creative in the kitchen, but even I found myself saying, “Ooooh, I would’ve never thought of that...”  One of the combinations that was wildly new to me was the one given in the recipe below.  I wouldn’t have ever invited Muenster Cheese to a grilled cheese party, but this recipe has me slapping myself for the oversight.

The recipe below is from the cookbook and is outstanding. I love it alongside tomato soup or chili and have been known to have it simply with a large dill pickle and Funyons.

I know how to live, after all.

Classic Grilled Two Cheese

Author: Alison Lewis
Serves 4

8 slices white or whole-grain bread (1/2 inch/1 cm thick slices)
2 TBS butter or margarine, softened
4 oz Muenster cheese, thinly sliced
4 oz Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Brush one side of each bread slice with butter.
  2. Place on a work surface, buttered side down.
  3. Top 4 bread slices equally with Muenster and Cheddar cheeses.
  4. Cover with remaining bread slices, buttered side up, and press gently.
  5. Place sandwiches on preheated panini grill or in a large skillet over medium heat and cook, turning once if using a skillet, for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted.
  6. Serve immediately.

When it comes to grilled cheese sandwiches, you have to really be careful with cheese combinations. Make the wrong move and the result will be thisclose to gross. You also have to be careful with what fillings you add and how you treat the bread. Again, the wrong move can leave your taste buds borderline depressed.  In this wonderful and fun cookbook, Alison Lewis has done all of the hard work for us and taken all of the guess work out of our hands.  We’re left with a ton of delicious recipes and combinations that’ll make us the Queen or King of Grilled Cheese.  Whether you use a Panini or Sandwich Press or a favorite skillet, you WILL use these recipes again and again and again.

Below are just some of the recipes included in 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches:

  • Roast Beef with Asiago and Watercress
  • Grilled Steak and Blue Cheese
  • Italian Tomato-Basil Bread
  • Hot Bacon Swiss Crostini
  • Havarti and Cucumber Sandwich
  • Grilled Spinach, Pepper Jack, and Bacon
  • Warm Peanut Butter Power Wrap
  • Italian Salami Panini
  • Sweet Pepper Relish
  • Hummus
  • The Pilgrim
  • And many, many, many more.

See 150 Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for more information and to order your copy today… just in time for soup season!


Cream Cheese, Green Chiles, and Jalapneo Dip (And Spread for the Next Day)

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Cream Cheese, Green Chiles, and Jalapeno Dip

This dip (which makes any game, movie, or History Channel show even better – this isn’t conjecture, I’ve done the studies) combines some of my favorite things in the culinary world: Cream Cheese, Green Chiles, and Jalapenos.

Hook. Line. Sinker.

Serve with tortilla chips and lose yourself in the yumminess.

If there are leftovers, refrigerate them. The next morning, spread on bagels, toast, or English muffins – you will NOT believe how incredible it is. Again. I did the studies. Anything for you.

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Cream Cheese, Green Chiles, and Jalapneo Dip (And Spread for the Next Day)

Category: Cream Cheese Recipes, Dips and Sauces, Game Day, Quick and Easy Recipes

Cream Cheese, Green Chiles, and Jalapeno Dip

Ingredients

  • 8 oz Package Cream Cheese
  • 4.5 oz can green chiles (undrained)
  • 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
  • Tortilla Chips (for dipping)

Instructions

  1. Combine the first three ingredients and mix until smooth.
  2. Spread into a small microwave-safe dish and microwave for 3-4 minutes. You want the edges bubbly and the dip uniformly hot.
  3. Serve with tortilla chips!