Caramelized Onion and Cheddar Gougères-Virtual Baby Shower for Taylor {Greens n' Chocolate}

The food blogging community is seriously amazing. I have made some of the best friends who understand me in a way that I would never have thought possible-especially since I haven't met the grand majority of them. But I read their posts and comments and social media posts almost every day, and I really feel that I know these incredible ladies and that they know me! Which is why I love coming together with other bloggers to celebrate when great things happen in the lives of one of our own. Today is one of those days--we're celebrating Taylor from Greens n' Chocolate as she prepares to welcome her sweet baby boy into the world with a VIRTUAL BABY SHOWER!!!

In my experience with showers and get-togethers of most kinds, small bites/appetizers/snacks are a big hit. Things you can just pick up, pop into your mouth, and carry on about your business. Which is why I decided these gougeres would be a great thing to share for today's baby shower!

What's a gougere-you ask? It's pretty much just choux pastry (choux is the same stuff you use to make cream puffs) that's mixed with cheese. And, in this case, some delicious lightly caramelized onions (cooked down method, not the kind where you add sugar and such) are also mixed in. Which makes for the most amazing light, yet chewy, and super flavorful savory treat.

I also got to break in my new KitchenAid stand mixer making these beauties (AND use an actual piping tip for the first time), which was insanely exciting for me. Almost as exciting as the way I felt when the smell of the gougeres started wafting from the oven.

I seriously couldn't stop eating these. They're sort of irresistible. You can't help but love them--sort of like babies :) Taylor-we're so excited for you and the hubs and I know you're going to make an amazing mom, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Check out what Taylor's other friends brought to the party!

Mrs. Olson's Kitchen-Quick Jam

Girl Versus Dough-Cheesy Polenta Bites with Blueberry Corn Relish

Fit Foodie Finds-DIY Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch Clif Bars

Making Thyme for Health-Lemon Cupcakes with Fresh Blueberry Icing 

The Cooking Actress-Caramelized Onion and Cheddar Gougères

Cookie Monster Cooking-Strawberry, Cucumber and Mozzarella Phyllo Cups

Garnish with Lemon-Mini Pavlovas with Blueberries and Kiwi

A Kitchen Addiction-Blueberry Lemon Donut Muffins

The Lemon Bowl-Blackberry Ginger Smash with Thyme

Baked Blooming Onion

Sooo....I sort of messed this recipe up. And it's all my fault. I didn't follow the directions exactly and that is my bad.

Mistake #1-Cutting off the bottom of the onion even though I was not told to do so in the recipe.

Mistake #2-Using liquid egg whites instead of actual eggs.

These mistakes resulted in a poorly cut onion and the breading not really sticking so well.

BUT-the pieces of onion that had breading? Delicious.

And I feel like you all deserve to know that there is a healthier way to enjoy a blooming onion (like you get at certain restaurants)--so I wanted to share this with you. And show you where to find the original recipe that you should FOLLOW. Don't make my mistakes my friends. Enjoy your successful baked blooming onion!

Check out Gimme Delicious for the recipe!

Spinach and Artichoke Hummus

I love spinach artichoke dip, I love hummus. So...really...it just makes sense to combine the two! They're both delicious dips. They're both crowd pleasers. They both took some time for me to warm up to.

Yepp. When I first tried spinach and artichoke dip I was not sold. However, my best friend insisted we share it every time we went to Friday's together so I eventually grew to love it. And hummus I wasn't sold on, until I had my 10th bite. Then I couldn't get enough. Which is exactly what happened with this hybrid. At first I was all, "Ohhh...hmmm...I dunno."

And now I can't stop shoveling it into my face. Same thing with Michael. He was like "Eh, it's ok." 20 minutes later he yelled, "TAKE THIS AWAY FROM ME I CANNOT STOP EATING IT!"

Thank goodness we got to the point of being unable to stop eating it becaaause...I totally should have waited to make this until there was a party, because it definitely makes a large party-sized amount. I was a little overwhelmed when I realized how much hummus I had just made. So--be prepared for that. If you're not planning on bringing it someplace, halve the recipe. You'll still have plenty. Not that any that I made went to waste. Oh nooo-I ate it right up. Yes yes yes!

And the taste? Honestly...it's exactly what you'd expect. It's like hummus merged with spinach and artichoke dip. 

So, yeah. That's the story of how Kayle got some veggies into her system thanks to hummus!

Black Bean Soup {Panera Copy-Cat}

Michael has become obsessed with Panera's black bean soup. And we live about 3 minutes from one so this has become a dangerous fact. So-in an attempt to save us money and Michael's health, I decided to try to make a homemade version of the desired soup. And it worked out pretty darned well, if I do say so myself!

Once Michael tasted it he gave me a couple small changes to help make the recipe closer to the original (which are reflected in the recipe below) but he was a pretty happy camper. He gobbled this soup up on its own or with some pita bread. He probably would have loved it even more if I'd put sour cream and cheese on it but...shhh...don't tell him.

When asked to describe the black bean soup Michael said it was a nice, thick, soup. Flavorful and hearty and "fills up your belly". Perfect for a cold night! (And omgeeee has it been cold lately! I think all of us dealing with winter right now NEED and deserve soup!)

Scallion Parmesan Hummus

I'm reeeeeally getting into this whole hummus thing. It's all healthy and stuff AND it's delicious?? WOOT!

It has sort of become my go-to when I need to bring an appetizer and I don't have time. Because if I have chickpeas? I can make hummus and it'll take like....5 minutes. Plus it's a total crowd-pleaser! 

As much as I adored the roasted garlic hummus I made this summer, I knew Michael was a bit overwhelmed by the garlic so I decided to go a different route. Plus...I had some scallions that needed to get used. So I sort of threw together this recipe.

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret, though: don't get thrown off by how hummus tastes right after you make it. After it sits for awhile it always ends up mellowing out and tasting SO MUCH better! I was super worried that the scallion flavor was too strong, at first, but then after time I didn't worry anymore. It was just delicious!

I made this hummus for "Crofford Christmas" (Michael's dad's side's Christmas celebration) and full disclosure: I was that weird person who couldn't stop eating the dish that I brought. I felt so guilty as I kept going back for more and more of my own hummus! Like..."Kayle...you brought this for other people...don't be that girl"...but I couldn't help it. It was just smooth and delicious and I could not resist!

As it turns out...neither could anyone else. Success!

Crispy Pizza Wraps

It's the new year. Which means one thing:

people are resoluting to be healthier.

And this year Michael and I are very much amongst those peoples. We have a wedding to prep for!

I'm going to be primarily trying to exercise-but also just making better choices for food (less sweets/fats, pretty much no fried food and trying to limit the amount we go out to eat). Michael works so much that he doesn't have as much time to exercise and he's not a picky eater so we'll mostly be making diet changes for him. This means that there will probably be more healthy/healthier foods on the blog for the forseeable future...

...that said....everything in moderation.

There'll still be some treats, don't worry ;)

This recipe is a great way to bring in this new year! Michael loves pizza rolls and um...they're horrid for you. So I made these as an attempt to create a healthier copy cat. Are they the same as pizza rolls? No. They're not. HOWEVER they are delicious and still a tasty, lighter, little snack. You just use some wonton wrappers and, really, stuff whatever you want inside--if you want to get really healthy put some spinach and chicken in there (I tried to stay close to the inspiration with pepperoni and cheese). They're crispy/crunchy, easy, and a crowd pleaser!

Because being healthier shouldn't feel like we're denying ourselves :)

One Hour Dinner Rolls

Did you know that I AM A LADY?

...Well....I'm not. So I figured out pretty early on in my life. My dad used to constantly scold me for...I don't know...stuff (sitting cross legged maybe?) and tell me I needed to be "a lady". (Which is hilarious if you know my dad. It's a drunk redneck telling someone to be a lady...sheesh.) In Girl Scouts we took an etiquette class and there was one singular moment that made 7 year old me say, "What? Eff this. No. WAY." (I didn't say eff this...at that age I was very unsure of what that word meant but I knew I wasn't supposed to say it.)

The moment? We were told to break off one tiny piece of dinner roll, butter it, eat it. Repeat. IT'LL TAKE YOU A THOUSAND YEARS TO EAT A ROLL AT THAT RATE (or so I felt). You cut a roll in half, butter each half, then shove each half into your face. The end. Everyone is happy.

Since obviously that is the way to do things, I made my peace with the fact that I would never be a proper lady. Because I will never butter my rolls one tiny piece at a time. Rolls are too good to ruin with etiquette.

And much like I don't want to wait many many minutes to butter and eat a roll....I don't want to wait hours and hours for homemade rolls to be made. Sometimes I just don't have the time or energy to make my absolute favorite roll recipe. Which is why I wasted no time in making these rolls when I learned they only take ONE HOUR-beginning to end. Total. Period. UNO HORA!

And look....yes...they don't hold a candle to my fave rolls.

BUT they are super fluffy and pretty and tasty and are perfect for those days where you're crunched for time or just lazy! Like...maybe you're making a bunch of other dishes for a certain holiday where we all eat so much we have to undo the top button of our pants (or just wear a dress if you're a prepared non-lady). 

Like that.

Parmesan Gougeres

Confession: I maaaay have overbaked these. So they're a smidge overbrowned.

Sorry. It's okay though because they still turned out AWESOME!

Gougeres are pretty much French cheese puffs, made with choux (the same sort of pastry that brings you cream puffs). For these Gougeres I worked with what I had--which is Parmesan cheese and some chives and basil from my overflowing herb garden. But you can totally customize these to your preferences/what's in your kitchen!

So here we have airy little mounds of heaven. They're all crisp on the outside and they taste like Parmesan and herbs and they're so light on the inside. These gougeres are crazy addictive-I may have eaten the whole batch within an hour of baking them. Oops. 

It's ok, though. I can always make more. And maybe use cheddar and chives next time! ooooh yum!

Make em. Trust me. They're so much easier than you'd think (don't let the French name fool ya) and they're whipped up crazy quick. Gougeres are also the perfect thing if you're entertaining-instant "oooohs" and "ahhhs" for minimal effort! Huzzah!

Roasted Garlic Parmesan Tater Tots

These may be the best tater tots I've ever had.

Yeah. I just said it.

And you know the best part about these AHMAZING (and oh so addictive) tater tots is? They're not fried. They're not breaded. They're not full of gunk. They're just potatoes, deliciously sweet and smoky roasted garlic, and my fave dairy product: Parmesan cheese. And a dash 'o' salt. Oh yeah.

Do you want to know the 2nd best part?

I got to use my cutie-patootie little baby ramekin. Loooook at it! Cuteness.

Seriously though...I couldn't stop eating these. I'm sort of in love. And of all the tater tots that I've made, these might be the EASIEST and quickest too! Even Michael liked them (he said next time he'd like to try them with only potatoes-but at least he didn't say he'd rather have the frozen kind!-SUCCESS!...sorta...I still wanted the garlic and Parmesan....but I guess I could go basic next time ;P).

You should make these for yourself, for your significant other, for your mother, for your kids, for your brother (I ate mine before my brother could get to them-that kid is a bit of a mooch lol), for EVERYOOONE. They are total winners! Imagine bringing them to a barbecue, or having them as an after school snack,  or snacking on these lovelies whilst watching Netflix on the couch....all are great options.

Roasted Garlic Brown Butter Hummus

Remember my family reunion that I mentioned a couple weeks ago? Well, I made a little something for the occasion. My family clan (so: my grandma and aunts and uncles and cousins) was tasked with bringing appetizers and snacks and such, so I decided I wanted to make hummus for the first time!

Speaking of hummus...up until this point I had been pretty unsure about how I felt about hummus. Like...do I like it? I didn't know! But I figured...if it has roasted garlic and browned butter...what's not to like?

(Side note: when telling this to Michael's stepmom she told me, "You'd eat carpet if it had browned butter."

haaaaa. #sortatrue)

The good news is: I LOVE THIS HUMMUS! It's kind of funny because at first I wasn't sure how I felt about it and thought maybe the tahini was too strong (and Michael initially thought the garlic was too stron)...but it's one of those things where the more you eat of it, the better you like it. By the end I was all "'OM NOM HUMMUSSSS"!! And it went over really well at the reunion too-everyone said they liked it. Hooray! 

This recipe is very easily doubled-I doubled it for the reunion! (Although turns out that wasn't necessary, but it's ok, I ate the leftovers :P) AND...ya know....kinda healthyish. Chickpeas are good for ya, yeah? And....garlic? Yes? Ok maybe the butter and oil whatever, but it's not much. Yeah. I declare this healthy!

Healthier if you dip veggies in it, but I'm totally ok with it if you use pita chips.

Mmmm pita chips and hummus....

No-Knead Skillet Bread

Happy Memorial Day!

Something about baking bread....it's almost elemental. 

It feels like getting back to your roots. 

And the smell...is like home.

Which is why it's so sad that most people feel like baking bread is too difficult. Cuz guys IT'S NOT! Especially this recipe: no kneading, only a little over 2 hours start to finish (which isn't that long! And 1 and 1/2 hours of it are inactive, just waiting for it to rise--during which you can do some laundry, clean, watch TV, read a book...whatevs!) and it just bakes up in a gorgeous, rustic, cast iron skillet. And there's some pretty pretty rosemary on top. ooooh

Once you've baked up the beautious bread, you can use the bread for whatever you want (I used it for some grilled cheese even) but may I suggest roasted garlic? Cuz...roasted garlic is the bomb dizzel.

Random sad fact: As I write this I have been out of garlic for almost 1 whole week and haven't had a chance to go to the grocery store. It's a tragedy.

End of the day you have fluffy, golden brown, herbed, roasted garlic spread-ed, bread. That's a total crowd pleaser. Or just a you in your sweatpants pleaser. Either way, everyone is happy!

White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese with Truffle Sea Salt

It's finally happened. Michael didn't complain about a macaroni and cheese recipe. STOP THE PRESSES!

You see....that crazy boy of mine is always all whiney about my baked mac n cheese recipes, saying they're not real mac n cheese and asking me why I can't just buy him Velveeta. #firstworldfoodbloggerhubbyprobs

I suppose I shouldn't have been SO surprised, this is a stovetop mac n cheese recipe, which means it's creamier and more what he's used to. And...well....it IS delicious!

....and maybe there's some truffle flavor in it for me. But not so much that Michael got overwhelmed by it (or...even noticed it, for that matter).

You know what another benefit to the stovetop mac n cheese is (aside from silencing crankypants fiances')?

IT'S SO EASY. And quick. I used one pot to make the entire thing. (hooray minimal dishes)!

You make some of your favorite shaped pasta, then whip up a super creamy, super dreamy cheese sauce (that I healthified a bit by subbing in fat free half and half, instead of the original recipe's heavy cream. The downside was the sauce needed some thickening via a cornstarch mixture. I'd take that over the calories any dayyy though!) with a healthy dose of addictive truffle salt. It's lovely. Mmmmm. Get yourself a bowl a-tothe-sap!

Roasted Potato and Cheese Tater Tots

Believe it or not-this is not the first time I've shared homemade tater tots on this blog. But they're super different! The last recipe I shared were much closer to traditional 'tots (but baked!), and this recipe's pictures are like a million times better.

But I digress.

What both recipes have in common is that they're healthier than traditional tater tots! And this recipe is so simple to make. The ingredients list is beautifully short. We're highlighting the delicious potato flavors and just enhancing it with some cheese and scallions (I love scallions so much, btw.)

And that's it: no breading, no frying, very little fat. And they're pretty.

Something that would be sort of fun to do if you were serving these tots to a group would be to have a bunch of different dipping sauces: maybe ketchup, ranch, sour cream, garlic aioli, etc. etc. you can get totally creative!

...now I'm regretting that I didn't make some kind of roasted garlic dipping sauce for these...

well...guess it's time for another batch!

Baked Corn Fritters

Erm, Happy St. Patrick's Day? Ok....if you've followed my blog for at least a year, you're probably aware that I've dubbed myself the St. Patrick's day grinch. It's just like....a very "whatever" holiday to me to begin with. And then there's the whole people get mad at you if you don't wear green and I am not that into the color green. More than anything, though, it's the fact that it's essentially a big excuse to get wasted. And I'm really not into that. It kind of drives me crazy (I don't drink and I really don't like drunk people.) So, friends, forgive me. Dear Irish quarter of my family (hi Moore's!), forgive me. Let's just move along and discuss corn fritters, shall we? (I hope you all have oodles of fun today, regardless of my grinchdom, and stay safe!!)

These corn fritters are great because they're crazy easy to whip up, and they're baked, not fried, so-woot-healthyish! They're a gorgeous and impressive appetizer, snack, or side, and you can serve them in a bunch of different ways (salsa? guac? ranch? dipped in soup?) Use your imagination!

Now, unfortunately, they didn't end up being my favorite. They were great-crisp and full of corn flavor but...I don't know. For some reason they didn't do it for me. Michael, on the other hand, really enjoyed them (it's probably because he used sauces and I ate 'em plain due to my weird I-eat-stuff-plain palate). So, I definitely think they're worth a try. Especially if you're going to entertain! Set them out with a bunch of different sauces and you have a super fun and tasty little app. for the peoples. I'm pretty excited about the fact that I'll be able to bring food to family functions, now, and I know this is one that would be a crowd pleaser!

Cheez-It Macaroni and Cheese

Just when I'm getting over all my nervousness about Michael's job interview on Friday, TODAY is his grad school interview. Sooo much presssuuuure. *deep breaths* Anyway. So. We're gonna keep the comfort foods rollin'. Mac n cheese=ultimate comfort. Cheez-its: one of my favorite snacks. PUT TOGETHER!

Now, I cannot take ownership for this idea. I got it from my girl Ashley over at Wishes and Dishes. But...oh MAN! How brilliant! Crunchy, cheesy crackers on top of your beloved macaroni and cheese! Now...I might have changed the recipe just a smidge in that....I...sort of browned the butter...I KNOW! I couldn't resist! I have a problem guyyssss!

But anyway. So. Let's chat. This mac n cheese is super tasty BUT very thick. It is 100% best eaten the day it is made. This is not a dish where it makes good leftovers. So, I suggest you make this yumminess if you're entertaining or have a decent sized family unit. 2 people is not enough. Nopes. Especially because Michael will forever be loyal to Velveeta, it seems. *martyred sigh*

Anywayyy, give it a try! All those other people you feed will def. be grateful!

Roasted Garlic Focaccia

Aghhhh today I am SUPER anxious! Michael has his job interview and I am just hoping hoping HOPING it goes smashingly and he gets the job and he gets a great shift schedule and everything works out perfectly for the move and it all just falls into place...

is that too much to ask?

Whatever. I'm anxious. You know what's an awesome cure for my anxiety?

Bread.

Making, baking, and eating bread. Especially when it's covered in roasted garlic that makes Michael turn to you and say, "What's this stuff? Cheese?" (at this point he's already tried it and declared that he liked it, so it was safe for me to say:) "Nope. Roasted garlic."

Mmmmm....I feel better just talking about it.

I've been dying to make focaccia* for quite some time now: I mean, it's a pretty simple bread, and it looks crazy delish.

*Side note: Michael and I got into a discussion on the correct way to say focaccia. He says "focasha", I said, "FocaCHIa" and I'm pretty sure the correct pronunciation is somewhere in between. Regardless, try saying focaccia over and over again...it just starts to sound ridiculous (as is the case with most words if you say 'em enough.)

Yeah. This recipe doesn't disappoint. It's sort of like a giant, chewy loaf of garlic bread. That's like...super...deliciously...garlicky. I love roasted garlic. And bread. We finished off these four loaves in less than a week. Just the two of us. I ate 1 whole loaf in that first day.

Whatever. No shame.