Festive Christmas Cheeseball with Boursin Cheese, Cranberry Cheddar, Aged Gruyere, Caramelized Walnuts, Crispy Sage, Chives, + Rolled in Pomegranate Arils

Festive Christmas Cheeseball with Boursin Cheese, Cranberry Cheddar, Aged Gruyere, Caramelized Walnuts, Crispy Sage, Chives, + Rolled in Pomegranate Arils

Hey y'all, sorry I have been out of commission, we have been traveling non-stop. First we were in Birmingham for about a week, and then Atlanta for a few days, and in just two day, we're heading off to New Orleans for the Alabama vs. Ohio State game at the Sugar Bowl for the first football playoff game... oh yeah, and we get to celebrate New Years Eve there too!! So it will have been a couple crazy weeks. But even though we are heading to the famous Bourbon Street, sadly, we have to admit that Christmas has passed us once again :( I can't believe it has already come + gone and now we have have to wait a'whole'nother year before celebrating it again. This year, since we were so busy, I unfortunately didn't get to make but two new recipes to honor the holiday season. This is the first recipe and it is the perfect party appetizer that all your friends + family are sure to enjoy. And hey, it's festive in color, to boot! The cheeseball begins with softened cream cheese + boursin cheese, shredded cranberry cheddar + aged gruyere, caramelized walnuts, crispy sage, fresh chives, and finally rolled in pomegranate arils. How perfect is that... green, red, + white? It's like Santa's elves made it themselves. Honestly, it is so easy to make as well. All you have to do is beat together the softened cream cheese and boursin until whipped + cohesive. And then toss in the the shredded cheese, walnuts, herbs, and some fresh cracked pepper. Mix it together until a cohesive mixture is formed, and using plastic wrap, roll it into one large ball or two medium-sized balls, before placing them into the fridge to chill. Meanwhile, pour your pomegranate arils onto a thickly, paper towel-lined cutting board and spread them out, so that they can dry as much as possible. The more moisture removed, the better the cheeseball will look and taste (we don't want no soggy cheese, y'all)!! After the cheeseball has chilled out in the fridge and the pomegranate is perfectly dry, you just need roll the ball around in the arils, pressing them in slightly, so that they adhere and stick to the cheese... making the perfect presentation. You can serve the festive christmas cheeseball directly out of the refrigerator or you can let it soften a bit, so it is easier to spread onto various crackers. This appetizer hits every flavor note that you could ever want... salty, sweet, juicy, herby, cheesy, fruity, creamy, + nutty!! I hope y'all get to enjoy this one before New Years Day!! Enjoy :)

 

For the Festive Cheeseball:

4T Unsalted Butter, Melted

16 Fresh Sage Leaves

1 Round of Boursin Cheese, Softened

8oz Cream Cheese, Softened

6oz Cranberry Cheddar, Shredded

6oz Aged Gruyere, Shredded

1C Caramelized Walnuts

¼C Fresh Minced Chives (or more if you please)

Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

1C Fresh Pomegranate Arils (enough to cover the ball; dried cranberries are a good substitute)

Various Styles of Crackers, For Serving

Directions:

1. Frying the Sage: Heat a skillet over medium heat and add butter. Once it's sizzling, toss in the sage leaves and cook until crispy - flipping once and cooking about 1 minute per side. Remove the sage leaves and place them on a paper towel to crisp up a bit. Set the butter aside.

2. Making the Cheeseball: In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, mascarpone and cheddar cheese. Beat until combined, and then add in the almonds, sage leaves, remaining butter, salt and pepper. Mix on low speed until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides and the bottom if needed. Take the cheese mixture out of the bowl and mold it into a big ball as best you can. Roll it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Prepping the Pomegranate: Meanwhile, place the arils on a paper towel and pat them completely dry. Let them sit out while the cheese is chilling to remove as much liquid from them as possible. This will keep the cheeseball pretty, and not wet or slimy.

4. Finishing the Cheeseball: After 30 minutes, mold the cheese into more of a smooth ball. Add the arils to a plate or baking sheet and roll the ball through them, using your hands to press arils into all the cracks and crevices. You will need to gently press so the arils adhere to the cheese. At this time, you can serve it immediately or keep it in the fridge until ready to use. If you want to make it ahead of time, you can rolls the ball 1 to 2 days beforehand. I'd wait until the night before or morning of to add the pomegranate arils, and you may need to let the cheese come to room temp a bit so it's sticky enough.

5. Serve with various types of crackers and enjoy with friends + family!

Source: Pomegranate Jeweled, White Cheddar, Toasted Almond, and Crispy Sage Cheeseball

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.

Thanksgiving Panini with Roasted Turkey, Sage Aioli, Cranberry Pepper Jelly, + Goat Brie Cheese on Homemade Crusty Pumpkin Bread, Fried in Herbed Compound Butter

Thanksgiving Panini with Roasted Turkey, Sage Aioli, Cranberry Pepper Jelly, + Goat Brie
Cheese on Homemade Crusty Pumpkin Bread, Fried in Herbed Compound Butter

It's officially November, y'all... which means the month of Thanksgiving and giving thanks is upon us!! We all gotta start planning our menu for the big day, but what's better than the day after meal... y'all know what I'm talking about, the leftover sandwiches. Two years ago, I made this Friends-inspired treat and the next year, I went in a crazy direction and whipped up these chicken + waffles with leftover dishes. Oh and don't forget that kick-ass tartine, either!! Now, we've come back full circle and I'm featuring another sandwich, well, a panini to be exact. I didn't want it to be too fussy and loaded like the Moist Maker, but I still wanted a gourmet touch to it, that's for sure. So, I started by making homemade crusty pumpkin bread using pumpkin powder. We absolutely adored this pumpkin bread, it is great for sandwiches, toast, or could be used in sweet recipes as well (I'm thinking some french toast is in order). To make the bread even better, it is fried in herbed compound butter till golden & crispy. Y'all probably already knew that though because that's the only way we like a sandwich around this joint... fried in large amounts of butter. The filling is kept pretty classic with the use of roasted turkey, but then it's even more delicious because of the CHEESE (a.k.a. a tangy, creamy goat brie cheese) and CONDIMENTS (a.k.a homemade sage aioli + cranberry pepper jelly). That fruity sauce is the bomb as far as we're concerned and I loved the Southern twist to it... we love our pepper jelly down here. And that's it, that's all y'all need for a perfectly simple-perfectly haute couture panini, inspired by Thanksgiving. Honestly, we made this sandwich until we ran out of bread, so y'all know we loved it. I know we can't wait to make it the rest of the month... and don't worry, there will be plenty of dishes posted that are perfect for the big day, and day after, all throughout the season!! Enjoy :)

yumm-ooooo

For the Crusty Pumpkin Bread:

5C Bread Flour

1C Pumpkin Powder

1T Salt

3C Water

For the Sage Aioli:

1 Egg Yolk

1t White Vinegar

1 ½t Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

¼t Dijon Mustard & Sugar

2 Garlic Clove, Minced into a Paste (with a little bit of sea salt)

½t Salt

¾C Canola Oil

1t Fresh Rosemary, Minced

1-2T Fresh Sage (depending on how strong you like it)

For the Cranberry Pepper Jelly:

3 Red Bell Peppers, Finely Chopped

2 Red Habanero Peppers, Seeded & Finely Chopped

1C Sugar

2t Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

½t Salt

¼C Liquid Pectin

1T Fresh Lemon Juice

3C Cranberries

 

For the Thanksgiving Panini:

Prepared Crusty Pumpkin Bread, Cut into Slices + Fried in Herbed Compound Butter

Prepared Sage Aioli

Prepared Cranberry Pepper Jelly

Thinly Shaved Roasted Turkey

Slices of Creamy Goat Brie Cheese

Directions:

1. For the Crusty Pumpkin Bread: In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, pumpkin powder, salt, and yeast. Add in the water and stir until you have shaggy dough ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 12-18 hours. Once the dough has rested, heat the oven to 450 degrees. After the oven has heated, put a covered pot in and heat for 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven and carefully pick up the ball of dough and drop it into the hot pot. Put the lid on the pot and return it to the oven to bake for an hour. After the hour cooking time, take off the lid and bake for another 20-30 minutes until the bread is golden brown. Carefully remove the bread from the pot and let it cool completely before slicing.

2. For the Sage Aioli: Combine the egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, minced garlic, fresh rosemary, fresh sage, and ½t salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds. Using ¼t measuring spoon and whisking constantly, add ¼C of the oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, about 4-5 minutes. Gradually add remaining ½C canola oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8-10 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color). Season the mayo with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use.

3. For the Cranberry Pepper Jelly: Combine peppers, chiles, sugar, red pepper flakes and salt in a heavy wide pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in pectin and lemon juice. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir in cranberries and simmer gently until they burst and juices thicken, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer jelly to a jar, let cool, and cover. It will keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

4. Prepping the Grilled Cheese:Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Spread one side of each of the two slices of pumpkin bread with some homemade sage aioli and begin layering with slices of goat Brie cheese, roasted turkey, and a heavy serving of cranberry pepper jelly on top of the bread. Press the sandwich together in order to compress it some.

5. Cooking the Grilled Cheese: Spread one side of the cut bread with some softened, herbed compound butter and place it buttered side down and fry the bread lightly for 3-5 minutes, making sure that all of the cheese has melted and the filling is hot. Flip the sandwich and continue to cook for another few minutes until both sides are well browned, perfectly crispy, & melted. Carefully press the sandwich together to ensure everything has adhered to each other. If you are still concerned about the filling not being hot enough, you can always pop it in the oven to ensure that everything hot and gooey.

6. Sprinkle the sandwich with some minced fresh herbs, cut in half, and enjoy immediately!!

Thanksgiving Leftovers "Chicken & Waffles" with Pecan Crusted Turkey Tenderloins, Cornbread Dressing Waffles, Vanilla Bean-Pecan Butter, Brandied Cranberry-Maple Syrup, & Brown Butter Fried Sage

Thanksgiving Leftovers "Chicken & Waffles" with Pecan Crusted Turkey Tenderloins,
Cornbread Dressing Waffles, Vanilla Bean-Pecan Butter, Brandied Cranberry-Maple
Syrup, & Brown Butter Fried Sage

Well, our first Friendsgiving dinner has come and gone, and I'm pretty sad about it. It was a lot of fun, and we had wayyyyyy too much to eat. But, there's always, always, always room for leftovers. And yeah, I know there are some Thanksgiving Leftover Purists out there who just want a plain old sandwich. But not me, I try to come up with something crazy & different every year. Just a couple weeks ago I made a tartine, and that was delicious, but I knew this time, I had to make something bigger + better. I couldn't help but think of wanting to make one of our favorite meals, chicken & waffles, into a leftover extravaganza. I started with my favorite buttermilk waffle recipe and then added in some of our cornbread dressing to turn them into these bread pudding-like crispy waffle cakes. Seriously, it has an outrageous texture and taste on its' own, but then you top them with some pecan crusted tenderloins that have been fried to perfection, a few tabs of a homemade vanilla bean-pecan butter, a healthy drizzle of brandied cranberry-maple syrup, and brown butter fried sage... and well, my friends, you are certainly in Thanksgiving Heaven (I'm pretty sure that's a real place, don't worry). It was the perfect brunch this morning, but honestly, I could go for these "chicken & waffles" at any time during the day. And you should too!! Enjoy :)

For the Pecan Crusted Turkey Tenderloins

6 Turkey Tenderloins (or chicken can be substituted, as well as pork)

1C Toasted Pecan Pieces (ground into a pecan meal)

2C AP Flour

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

1C Buttermilk, Well-Shaken

3 Eggs, Beaten

1T Hot Sauce

Vegetable Oil, For Frying

For the Cornbread Dressing Waffles:

¾C AP Flour

¼C Cornstarch

½t Baking Powder & Sea Salt

¼t Baking Soda

½C Buttermilk

½C Milk

1/3C Vegetable Oil

1 Egg

2t Sugar

½t Vanilla

1 ½C Leftover Cornbread Dressing or Stuffing

For the Vanilla Bean-Pecan Butter:

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Softened

¼C Toasted Pecans, Finely Chopped

1t Sugar

¼C Vanilla Extract

For the Brandied Cranberry-Maple Syrup:

½C Leftover Cranberry Sauce

½C Maple Syrup

¼C Brandy

Salt, To Taste

For the Thanksgiving Leftover Chicken & Waffles:

Pecan Crusted Turkey Tenderloins, Fried until Golden Brown & Crispy

Prepared Cornbread Dressing Waffles, Cooked & Warm

Prepared Vanilla Bean-Pecan Butter, Cut into Tabs

Brandied Cranberry-Maple Syrup, Warmed

Brown Butter Fried Sage, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For the Pecan Crusted Turkey Tenderloins: Heat the oil, over medium-high heat, in a large cast iron skillet. In food processor, finely ground the pecans. Combine the pecans with the flour. Season the flour and tenderloins with salt & pepper to your liking. Whisk the eggs with the buttermilk and hot sauce. Dredge the turkey tenderloins in the pecan flour, coating each piece completely. Dip the chicken in the buttermilk egg wash, coating completely and letting the excess drip off.  Dredge them again in the pecan flour. Fry the turkey for roughly 6-8 minutes or until there is no longer any pink in the meat. The outside should be golden brown and crispy. Drain the fried turkey on a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt & pepper. Keep these warm until you are ready to serve.

2. For the Cornbread Dressing Waffles: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Whisk together to blend. In another mixing bowl, beat together the whole milk, buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk just until incorporated and few lumps remain. Add in your leftover dressing or stuffing and mix to combine. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat a waffle iron. Fill waffle wells and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The waffles should be crisp and golden brown. Keep them warm until you are ready to serve.

3. For the Vanilla Bean-Pecan Compound Butter: In a mixing bowl, mash and smooth out the butter with a fork. Add in the vanilla bean seeds, toasted pecans, sugar, and vanilla extract and mix until it is smooth, making sure that all of the component are mixture thoroughly and distributed throughout. Keep it at room temperature or refrigerate until you are ready to spread it onto your waffles.

4. For the Brandied Cranberry-Maple Syrup: Heat the leftover cranberry sauce and maple syrup over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add the brandy and some salt to taste, and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the brandy infuses into the syrup and it thickens slightly. Keep warm until ready to serve.

5. To Assemble the Turkey & Waffles: Place two cornbread dressing waffles in the center of your plate and spread with the softened vanilla bean-pecan butter. Top the waffle with another tab of the butter and the crispy pecan crusted turkey tenderloins. Pour the brandied cranberry-maple syrup all over your plate and garnish with brown butter fried sage leaves. Enjoy it while it’s still warm!