#instagrub: Springtime Carbonara with Asparagus, Sweet Peas, Brown Buttered Leeks, + Goat Cheese

As far as I can remember, I have never been a "pasta person". I truly realize that anything of that sort is blasphemy, but it's just not my jam. However, I do tend to make a few exceptions and our tried + true favorite pasta dish is by far, Carbonara. I love it's luxurious parmesan-egg creamy sauce that perfectly coats every little individual pasta piece. Every time I eat this for dinner, it's almost like the pasta is giving me a big ole bear hug that warms me deep into my soul. We don't just make one version of Carbonara, but many... breakfast inspired, autumn flavored with sage, sausage, and roasted butternut squash, and this new edition using springtime ingredients. Not only is it packed with bacon, bacon fat, and heavy cream, but it also has gorgeous asparagus, delightful sweet peas, leeks sauteed in brown butter, and fresh herbs. All of these components truly liven up the somewhat-heavyhearted Carbonara, especially with the addition of lemon zest, lemon juice, and a glug of white wine. To make the pasta, I get out two large stockpots... one to begin boiling to pasta and one to start sauteing the leeks in brown butter. We buy the best frozen sweet peas we can find and toss them in at the last few minutes to partially cook them (along with the pasta), so that they can finish completely while we're assembling the dish. After the leeks have caramelized slightly and become translucent, add in the asparagus, some garlic, and that glug of white wine. After you have drained the pasta and peas into a colander to cool, it's now time to start cooking the bacon lardons. Once you have achieved crispy bacon lardon goodness, strain out the lardons onto a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the rendered bacon fat behind. With the heat on medium, return the pasta and peas, brown buttered leeks, asparagus, and minced garlic to the large pot with the bacon fat. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients to make the creamy egg-parmesan-heavy cream sauce until a cohesive mixture has formed. Turn off the heat (but the pasta ingredients are still hot) and slowly drizzle in the seasoned heavy cream-parmesan-egg mixture, stirring continuously, so that the eggs do not cook and curdle. You want to achieve a smooth, creamy sauce, that perfectly coats the pasta, and in order to reach those results… you have to keep stirring. If the sauce is too thick you can add in a small ladle of that starchy pasta-cooking water until your have reached your desired consistency. Finally add in a little freshly grated nutmeg, fresh parsley, and fresh basil. Take a taste test, and if needed, season it with some more salt, pepper, and/or any other spices. Return the pasta to low-medium heat for just about a minute or two to thicken the sauce and bring it all together. At the very last minute, toss in the crispy bacon lardons, so they maintain their texture, even when coated in such a thick sauce! Now all you have to do is spoon the pasta into serving bowls and garnish them with fresh basil, fresh parsley, and crumbled goat cheese, and you're done!! Enjoy :)

For the Springtime Carbonara:

1lb Orecchiette Pasta (or any short pasta you like)

1 Bag of Frozen Sweet Peas

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter

4 Leeks, Halved Lengthwise + Thinly sliced (white & green parts only and thoroughly washed)

1lb Asparagus, Trimmed & Cut into 2inch Pieces

6 Cloves of Garlic, Finely Minced (split into two equal groups)

¼C White Wine

1lb Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cut into Lardons

Generous Sprinkling of Cinnamon

4 Large Eggs

8oz Grated Parmesan (we used one container of finely grated cheese)

½C Heavy Cream

1-2T Lemon Zest, Finely Grated with a Microplane

Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice, To Taste

¼-½t Dried Red Pepper Flakes 

Freshly Grated Nutmeg (just a pinch or to your liking)

¼C Fresh Parsley + ¼C Fresh Basil, Finely Chopped 

Fleur de Sel + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
1. Prepping the Pasta: Fill a large stockpot with water, and then heavily salt it (almost to the point that it is like ocean water) and add a glug of extra virgin olive oil. Bring the water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. With about 2-3 minutes of boiling left to go, add in the frozen peas, so that they can partially cook (they will finish completely throughout the Carbonara pasta process). When the pasta is done, reserve 2-3 ladles of the starchy water to help create a better sauce. Strain the pasta and peas and keep them in the strainer until you are ready to make the Carbonara. Return the large stockpot to the stove to be used again

2. Brown Buttering the Leeks: Start a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the stick of butter and allow it to melt completely until it is just beginning to brown. Throw in the prepared leeks, as well as some fleur de sel and fresh cracked pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes, making sure to stir often. Boost the heat up to high and add in the cut asparagus and half of the minced garlic, and sauté for another 3-5 minutes, until they are tender, but not overcooked. Pour in the wine and allow it to reduce down, about 1-2 minutes. After this mixture has cooked, let it sit in the pan while you start cooking the bacon lardons.

3. Preparing the Creamy “Sauce”: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, finely grated Parmesan, heavy cream, fleur de sel, fresh cracked pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes until a smooth custard has formed. Set it aside.

4. For the Carbonara: In the same large stockpot used above, crisp up the bacon lardons over medium-high heat with a sprinkling of cinnamon. Once the bacon is completely cooked+ crispy, using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reduce the heat to low and leave the remaining bacon fat in the pot and throw in the cooked pasta and peas, brown buttered leeks, sautéed asparagus, and remaining minced garlic. Toss all of these components in the bacon fat until a cohesive pasta mixture has formed. Turn off the heat (but the pasta ingredients are still hot) and slowly drizzle in the seasoned heavy cream-parmesan-egg mixture, stirring continuously, so that the eggs do not cook and curdle. You want to achieve a smooth, creamy sauce, that perfectly coats the pasta, and in order to reach those results… you have to keep stirring. If the sauce is too thick you can add in a small ladle of that starchy pasta-cooking water until your have reached your desired consistency. Finally add in a little freshly grated nutmeg, fresh parsley, and fresh basil. Take a taste test, and if needed, season it with some more salt, pepper, and/or any other spices. Return the pasta to low-medium heat for just about a minute or two to thicken the sauce and bring it all together. At the very last minute, toss in the crispy bacon lardons, so they maintain their texture, even when coated in such a thick sauce.

5. Serving the Carbonara: Spoon the Springtime Carbonara into serving bowls and garnish with some fresh parsley, fresh basil, and a handful of crumbled goat cheese. Enjoy it while it’s still hot and oh-so-creamy! 

Brown Butter Shrimp Scampi on Crispy Parmesan Polenta Cakes with Sun Dried Red Pepper Puree, Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, + a Drizzle of Balsamic Reduction

Brown Butter Shrimp Scampi on Crispy Parmesan Polenta Cakes with Sun Dried Red
 Pepper Puree, Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, + a Drizzle of Balsamic Reduction

As y'all all know, we love us some shrimp + grits on the Haute + Heirloom blog. Matter of fact, it's my Mountain Man's favorite meal. He loves it so much that he asked the executive chef at our wedding venue, JCT Kitchen + Bar, to create a custom shrimp + grits entree featuring pimento cheese grits and smokey andouille sausage. So far, our favorite recipe for this famous southern dish is The Most Ridiculous Blackened Cajun Shrimp + Pimento Cheese Grits with Tomato-Tabasco-Andouille Gravy, Collard Green Pesto, Crispy Soft Poached Eggs, + Candied Bacon because, well, it's a dixieland delight. Our second loved recipe, BBQ Shrimp + Charred Corn-Goat Cheese Grits with Roasted Rainbow Cherry Tomatoes, Country Ham, + Red Eye Gravy, went in a completely different direction, but is just as satisfying. I think this low-country classic is so extremely versatile that it can adapt to almost every type of cuisine. I can visualize each new recipe in my head already... Asian, Classical French, Caribbean, Spanish, Mexican, and Italian. Well, today's recipe is gonna feature an Italian twist. It starts off with some slow roasted cherry tomatoes because it's one of my favorite ingredients and I love the concentrated tomato flavor that you achieve just by cooking them low + slow. As you open up the oven door, your mouth begins to open along with it because they look like gorgeous little tomato jewels. Recently, I have been beyond-obsessed with Delallo's Sweet + Tangy Sun-Dried Red Peppers. We seriously can't get enough of them. They are amazing on pizza, in pasta dishes, added into hummus, and blended into an aioli. We chose to use it by making it into a thick red pepper puree. For the crispy parmesan polenta cakes, you can either go the easy route or the more-labor intensive route. While I normally go with the harder route, we decided to forgo that option and by one of the tubes of polenta that you can buy at your local grocery store. It's so easy-peasy because all you have to do is slice them into thick rounds, and then they are ready to be fried in olive oil until they reach a perfectly golden brown color and an utterly crispy outside. I also freshly grated parmesan on top of the fried cakes for that nutty, salty flavor we all just can't live without. Now onto the most important component, the shrimp, duh. And what is more Italian than Shrimp Scampi? The classic recipe for Scampi is already fabulous, but guess what, it's even better this way! My way involves lots of brown butter, fresh garlic, white wine, lots of italian herbs, and some lemon juice. Juicy shrimp + brown butter + slow roasted cherry tomatoes = a winning combination that should be considered our new favorite celebrity couple. Assembling this dish was by far my favorite part, besides eating if of course, because of all the rich colors that just pop off the plate. Start by creating a sun dried red pepper puree puddle in the middle of your plate, followed by plopping a crispy parmesan polenta cake on top of your puree, and then finally spooning all that brown-butter-shrimp-scampi goodness into a mountain that almost completely covers your cakes. Garnish the final dish with a drizzle of balsamic reduction and a-whole-mess of herbs for color + flavor. And I just have to say that this Italian spin on shrimp + grits was wildly successful, so I think y'all should make it too!! Enjoy :)

the beginnings of slow roasted rainbow cherry tomatoes

brown butter. slow roasted tomatoes. fresh herbs. garlic. juicy shrimp. 

brown butter shrimp scampi goodness is coming your way...

sun dried red pepper puree. crispy parmesan polenta cake. brown butter shrimp scampi.
slow roasted cherry tomatoes. fresh herbs. balsamic reduction. 

now try and tell me that this dish isn't perfection because it certainly is 

okay enough of the chit-chat, i'm ready to dig into this.

Roasted Rainbow Cherry Tomatoes:

2C Rainbow Cherry Tomatoes, Cut in Half

Olive Oil, For Drizzling

Salt & Pepper

Fresh Rosemary Sprigs

For the Sun Dried Red Pepper Puree:

1 Container of Delallo Sun Dried Red Peppers, Drained & Patted Dry (as good as possible)

1 Bulb of Roasted Garlic

¼C EVOO

Salt, Fresh Cracked Pepper, & Sugar (to taste)

1T Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

Water or Chicken Stock, For Thinning the Puree (if this is even needed)

For the Crispy Polenta Cakes:

1 Tube of Store-Bought of Polenta, Cut into Thick Slices

AP Flour, For Dusting the Polenta Cakes

EVOO, For Frying

A Pinch of Salt & Pepper on Each Slice of Polenta

Freshly Grated Parmesan, For Topping the Cakes

For the Brown Butter Shrimp Scampi:

2T EVOO

1lb pound of Fresh Georgia Shrimp, Peeled + Deveined

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Melted + Browned

6 Cloves of Garlic, Cut into Thin Sliced (so that they are slivered)

1t Dried Red Pepper Flakes (we like ours spicy, if you don’t, then decrease to your liking)

½C White Wine

2T Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped

1T Fresh Basil, Finely Chopped

1T Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

Salt + Pepper, To Taste

Prepared Slow Roasted Rainbow Cherry Tomatoes

Homemade Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Directions:

1. For the Roasted Rainbow Cherry Tomatoes: Preheat oven to 400 °. Toss tomatoes with olive oil and kosher salt and arrange on a sheet pan cut side up. Top the tomatoes with a few sprigs of rosemary. Cook for approximately one hour until they are soft, shriveling, and turning golden brown.

2. For the Sun Dried Red Pepper Puree: In a food processor, add in the drained + dried Delallo sun dried red peppers (of oil), along with the roasted garlic cloves. Begin to puree the mixture, while it is still on, drizzle in the olive oil until you have reached your desired thickness. If you find it too thick for your tastes, then add some water or chicken stock to thin it out a little bit. Season to taste with salt, fresh cracked pepper, and sugar if needed. Once you have made your perfect puree, set it aside until you are ready to assemble the dish.

3. For the Crispy Polenta Cakes: Cut the tube of polenta into thick slices, and then dust them in a little AP flour and shake off any excess. Heat about 1-2 inches of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot and starting to smoke just a little, add the polenta circles. Cook the polenta on both sides or until they are golden brown in color and have crisp edges. Finish by grating it with a little bit Parmesan. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm until the shrimp scampi is done.

4. For the Brown Butter Shrimp Scampi: Heat a sauté pan on high heat then reduce to medium high heat. Swirl the butter and olive oil into the pan. After the butter melts it will foam up a bit then it will begin to subside. If using unsalted butter, sprinkle a little salt in the pan. Stir in the slivered garlic and red pepper flakes. Sautee the garlic for 1-2 minutes or until it begins to brown around the edges, and then add in the prepared shrimp. Pour in the white wine and brown butter and stir to coat the shrimp in the sauce that has formed in the pan. Make sure to keep the shrimp in an even layer in the pan, so that they all cook and brown at the same speed. Increase the heat to high and boil the sauce (with the shrimp) for 2-3 minutes or until is has become a cohesive, silky sauce. Stir or fold the shrimp again into the sauce, making sure to flip them over, so that the other side browns some as well (this should only take about 1 minute). Gently add in the slow roasted tomatoes into the pan and fold them in with the shrimp (the more gentle you are, you are more likely to have solid pieces of tomatoes that don’t break down into a tomato sauce, we want them whole). Remove this mixture off the heat add in the fresh parsley, basil, & lemon juice. Season with salt + pepper to taste. Finally, toss all of the ingredients together until your brown butter shrimp scampi is absolutely perfect.

5. Assembling the Brown Butter Shrimp Scampi + Crispy Polenta Cakes: Spoon the sun dried red pepper puree into a thick circle in the center of a plate. Top the puree with a crispy Parmesan polenta cakes, followed by some brown butter shrimp scampi with roasted tomatoes. Finally garnish the plate with some more herbs and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. Enjoy while it is still hot!!

Date Night : Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari, Mussels, + Scallops braised in a Herbed, Spicy Heirloom Tomato Sauce and Brown Butter Panko

Squid Ink Pasta with Calamari, Mussels, + Scallops braised in a Herbed, Spicy Heirloom Tomato Sauce

Happy Easter everyone! I hope that everyone is surrounded by family, devouring honey baked hams, and stuffing your faces with carrot cake. Or, well, that's what we tend to do around this joint. But unfortunately, I do not have an Easter themed recipe for y'all today, but instead a Date Night entree. This dish is truly stunning... in person... in photographs... in general. I love the pop of black given from the squid ink pasta and the contrast of color the seafood + tomatoes provide. It looks extremely gourmet, but it was actually quite easy to throw together. We purchased the squid ink pasta a while ago, but we were waiting for the right inspiration to hit us. Usually everyone serves it with seafood because it obviously compliments the flavoring of the pasta. Well, we chose not one, but three types: calamari, mussels, + scallops. You honestly could just leave everything out and just use the calamari... just make sure you double or triple the amount of it. The pasta dish doesn't have a heavy sauce, which I love because it allows the remaining minor components to sing-- quite loudly. The sauce is super simple, in that it takes some sauteed onions, garlic, serrano, seafood stock, white wine, and a whole bunch of heirloom cherry tomatoes. Between the brine-y flavor from the squid ink pasta + seafood, the sweet + spicy tomato sauce, and crunchy brown butter panko, every flavor note is easily achieved. Not only is this delicious for two people, but it can't most certainly feed a big group. And lemme tell you, it's a crowd pleaser. I mean, they always say that you eat with your eyes first... and well, this dish is as colorful as you can get!! Enjoy :)

For the Brown Butter Panko:

4T Salted Butter, Melted & Browned

1C Panko Breadcrumbs

For the Pasta:

2T Unsalted Butter + 2T EVOO

1 Small Red Onion, Thinly Sliced

5 Cloves of Garlic, Thinly Sliced

1-2 Serranos, Thinly Sliced

2C Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Sliced in Half

2C Seafood Stock + 2C White Wine

2T Sugar (or to your desired sweetness)

1T AP Flour

1-2t Red Pepper Flakes (or to your desired spiciness)

Sea Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

½C Mixed Herbs (we recommend minced chives, Chiffonade basil, & tarragon)

½lb Calamari, Cut into Rings

1lb Mussels, Cleaned + Beard Removed

8-10 Seared Scallops

8oz Squid Ink Pasta

Directions:

1. For the Brown Butter Panko: In a small sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter until it has begun to toast and lightly brown. After it is has browned, pour the butter over the panko and quickly toss to coat the breadcrumbs until they are saturated. Return the buttered breadcrumbs to the pan and continue to brown them until they reach a lightly golden brown color. This should only take a few minutes (make sure to move them constantly, so they don’t burn). Remove them from the pan and place into a bowl, so that they can be used as a garnish later.

2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add in the squid ink pasta. Cook them according to the package; however, ours only took about 3-5 minutes (just make sure it’s al dente). Drain the pasta and set aside.

3. For the Spicy Heirloom Tomato Sauce: Bring a large sauté pan to medium-high heat and add in the butter and olive oil. Once they have melted, add in the red onion slices, garlic slivers, sliced Serranos, and calamari rings. Cook them until they begin to caramelize slightly and become fragrant, about 2-3 minutes (don’t let the garlic burn). Throw in the tomato halves and continue to sauté until they begin to break down and release their juices, about another 3-5 minutes. Stir in the seafood stock, white wine, and mussels. Cover and let this mixture cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes in order for the flavors to meld and allowing the mussels to open up. Afterwards, sift the 1T of AP Flour over the sauce and stir to combine (this will help the sauce thicken a bit and hold onto the pasta better). Now, it’s time to season the sauce with red pepper flakes, sea salt, & fresh cracked peppers. Once it has been seasoned to your liking, add in ¼C of the fresh mixed herbs (saving the other portion for garnishing).  Add the drained squid ink pasta into the spicy heirloom tomato sauce and toss to cover the noodles completely.

4. Serving the Pasta: Dump the squid ink pasta onto a serving platter and place the seared scallops all over the dish. Garnish with the remaining ¼C of fresh mixed herbs and sprinkle the brown butter panko all over the dish.

5. Enjoy with some toasted bread and a glass of red wine!

"One Pot Wonder" Pasta with Rainbow Linguine, Baby Heirloom Tomatoes, Sun Dried Red Peppers, Fresh Basil, Artichokes, + Creamy Goat Cheese

"One Pot Wonder" with Rainbow Linguine, Baby Heirloom Tomatoes, Sun Dried Red Peppers,
Fresh Basil, Artichokes, + Creamy Goat Cheese

I liked to call myself a "snooty foodie". And by no means, do I mean that positively. All the time, I get requests from my mountain man, family members, and friends asking for something that I just completely turn my nose up too. Casseroles, pot roast, pasta, & slow cooker meals to name a few. I don't know, I guess I'm a complicated girl, who likes complicated food. However, there is a certain recipe that has been floating around the internet and has taken the world by store. And it's all because of Martha. Martha, martha, marthaaaaaaaa. I was certainly skeptical of course, it seemed too easy, too simple, and down right impossible. It literally requires you to throw pasta, vegetables, aromatics, liquid, and herbs into one pot and boil it all together to form one luscious, creamy dish... without the fuss of dirtying up a million pas & utensils. I stored this recipe away for a day that I was scrambling to find something quick to cook for dinner. And well, tonight was the night that I would pull it out for examination. Her original recipe isn't as "fully loaded" as mine, but I'm sure they are equally tasty. I started off with a tomato basil theme, but it kinda grew + expanded from there when I added artichokes, white wine, chicken stock, sun dried red peppers, roasted garlic paste, pesto, and goat cheese. Hands down, our favorite component was the sun dried red peppers. We swear by the brand, DeLallo. So if you can get your hands on those, you won't regret it! They are sweet, slightly smokey, and plump beautifully during the cooking process. And lemme tell y'all, these peppers are amazing on a homemade pizza! As for the pasta, any kind will do, but we loved the idea of using gourmet rainbow linguine because, well, it's gorgeous and tasty. Once everything has cooked through and the pasta has soaked up all of the liquid and achieved the perfect al dente texture, toss in some softened goat cheese (or even some brie would be a great substitute as well) and stir until an extra creamy sauce is formed. For this dish, it calls for two bunches of fresh basil... one is added in at the beginning to "perfume" all of the components and the other is thinly shaved and lightly folded in just a minute before serving. I think that it's a really important step because it creates a wonderful balance between the rich sauce and herby basil. But you know what's best about this recipe? It would be great all year long, no matter what season it is! I can't even imagine how much better the pasta would be with fresh summery basil and juicy heirloom tomatoes... it's practically what my dreams are made of here, people. So give this recipe a try because it literally will become your "one pot wonder" and a weekly go-to!! Enjoy :)

ingredients: fresh basil, baby heirloom tomatoes, fresh garlic, roasted garlic paste,
artichokes, rainbow linguine, sun dried red peppers, onion, + creamy goat cheese

is that food for the eyes or what??

toss it all in and call it a day!

luscious, creamy, hearty, but fresh. it literally as it all. 

For the One Pot Wonder Pasta:

16oz Gourmet Rainbow Linguine Pasta

1 Sweet Vidalia Onion, Sliced

16oz Baby Rainbow Heirloom Tomatoes, Sliced in Half

14oz Artichokes, Drained + Quartered

½C Sun Dried Roasted Red Peppers, Julienned (we love the brand, Delallo)

4 Cloves of Fresh Garlic, Thinly Sliced

2T Roasted Garlic Paste + 2T Homemade Pesto

2 Bunches of Fresh Basil (one for the cooking process & one for finshing)

4C Chicken Stock + 1C White Wine

2t Dried Oregano

½t Red Pepper Flakes

Fleur de Sel, Fresh Cracked Pepper, & Olive Oil (to your preference)

4oz Creamy Goat Cheese, Room Temperature (although brie could be substituted here)

Directions:

1. For the Pasta: Combine the linguine, baby tomato halves, sliced onion, quartered artichokes, sun dried red peppers, garlic, roasted garlic paste, pesto, 1 bunch of basil, red-pepper flakes, olive oil (I used about two big glugs), fleur de sel, and fresh cracked pepper in a pot. Pour the chicken stock and white wine all over the pasta components in the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil mixture, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs, until pasta is al dente and water has nearly evaporated, about 15-20 minutes.

2. Finishing the Pasta: Once the liquid has reduced and thickened, add in the softened goat cheese and stir to melt and form a creamy sauce. Season the dish with more salt and pepper if needed (we actually added a touch of honey to round out all of the flavors). If the pasta has an al dente texture, then it is ready to serve! Chiffonade the remaining bunch of basil and toss that in just before serving. This will give the pasta a wonderful, aromatic taste and balance the creaminess with its’ herbed flavor.

Thanksgiving Cornbread Stuffing Bread Pudding with Sausage, Apples, + Caramelized Leeks

Thanksgiving Cornbread Stuffing Bread Pudding with Sausage, Apples, + Buttered Leeks

Do y'all absolutely hate me?? I'm guessing that's the case... and I sincerely apologize. Blah blah blah, I know. I've been missing from the count and I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. That means blogging... regularly. So you probably have sooooo many questions--mainly why have I been MIA. Well, with the launch of my Etsy store, Haute + Heirloom, I have been slam-damn-packed. LIKE SERIOUSLY Y'ALL. If you haven't gotten the chance to check the store out, then please head over. I'm excited to announce that it has taken off and been uber-popular :) Yay, go me!! But today, I'm back... with a way-overdue recipe from Thanksgiving. I know, it's shameful, though it's far too delish not to share. This would be the perfect substitute for stuffing at your Christmas dinner table, so it's totally relevant. To get started, it's a play off of the popular holiday dish, but slightly different, because it is transformed into a savory bread pudding. Savory bread pudding is relatively new to the scene, mainly due to the fact that we all associate bread pudding as a sweet recipe. But y'all, don't fear it--embrace it!! It's my jam. Really. And to only make the situation better, the stuffing/bread pudding is loaded with cornbread, buttered leeks, sausage, caramelized apples, wine, fresh herbs, and a creamy custard. All of the components are soaked and baked until the middle is soft and smooth, but crusty and cooked throughout. I love the texture so much here. Sometimes stuffing/dressing can be far too dry or far too wet, this is substantial yet pillowy. You know what though, it's even better the next day!! Yes, it's very true... I love to slice up some of it, toss it in a french toast batter, and then fry it until golden brown & crispy. A french toasted-bread pudding-stuffing cake... OMG, melt in yo mouth. So, c'mon y'all, you gotta try this stuff, especially because I'm posting a recipe for the most killer Thanksgiving Club sandwich tomorrow. Don't wet your pants in excitement!! Enjoy :)

sliced up + ready to be french toasted :)

crispy fried sage

Oh just the most ridiculous Thanksgiving Club Sandwich

see dem layers??

You're gonna wanna piece of dat.

For the Thanksgiving Cornbread Straffing:

4C Stale Cornbread, Cut into 1-inch Cubes

4C Stale French Bread, Cut into 1-inch Cubes

2C Stale Crusty & Chewy Italian Loaf, Cut into 1-inch Cubes

1C Leeks, Cut into ½-inch Thick Slices (white & light green parts only)

2T Unsalted Butter

1T Olive Oil

1lb Ground Sausage (regular, spicy, or sage flavored sausage can be used)

2 Chicken & Apple Sausage Links, Cut into Small Cubes

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter

1 Large Vidalia Onion, Chopped

2 Ribs of Celery, Chopped

2 Granny Smith Apples, Diced (you can leave the skin on or peel it off)

2T Maple Syrup

5 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1C White Wine

2T Fresh Sage, Minced

2t Fresh Rosemary & Fresh Thyme, Minced

1T Fresh Parsley, Minced

¼t Turmeric, White Pepper, & Paprika

5 Large Eggs

2C Chicken Stock (depending on how moist you liked your stuffing, you could add 1C more)

1 ½C Heavy Cream

1C Whole Milk 

Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking dish with Pam. Set it aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cubed cornbread, French bread, and Italian bread.

3. For the Caramelized Leeks: Place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the leeks into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the leeks begin to soften, about 5 minutes, and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the 2T butter. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are very soft, about 20 minutes. Remove the caramelized leeks into the bowl of cubed bread.

4. In a deep sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the ground sausage, making sure to break it up into small pieces and brown it well until completely cooked through. Remove the crumbled sausage by straining it from the fat in the pan, onto a paper towel to cool (making sure to leave the rendered fat behind to sauté the vegetables). Melt the stick of butter in the same pan and add in the chopped onions, celery, and apples, seasoning with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes or until translucent or caramelized. Drizzle the maple syrup over the sautéed vegetables and toss in the minced garlic. Continue to cook, over medium heat, until the garlic softens slightly and becomes fragrant. Carefully pour in the wine, add the herbs and seasonings, and cook to reduce the liquid by half, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Pour this mixture into a bowl, along with the cooked sausage and bread.

5. Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk together the eggs with the stock, heavy cream, and milk. Place the tossed, cubed bread into the prepared baking dish, making sure it’s an even layer and that each bread is mixed throughout. Distribute the vegetable-sausage mixture over the bread cubes, tossing well. Pour the liquid mixture over the bread (tossing a little to mix it well). Sprinkle the top with a little salt and pepper, if needed. Let the bread pudding soak for at least 3 hours, but can be soaked overnight and baked the next day.

6. Cover the baking dish with tin foil and bake for 15-20 minutes, and then remove the foil, and bake for another 20-30 minutes or until the dressing is cooked through and the top is crispy. Keep warm until ready to serve.