cheddar

Potato Chip Potluck

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Potato Chip Potluck! This one-dish wonder is so yummy, it can be packed in a picnic basket and taken along on your next adventure. With the double crunch of water chestnuts and potato chips, it almost seems like a party dip. Wrap it in foil and you’re good-to-go. Kids love the salty chips and adults appreciate the herbed chicken chunks. 

POTATO CHIP POTLUCK 

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

3 green onions, snipped

8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon celery seeds

2 tablespoons chopped tarragon leaves

Sea salt to taste

Dash of pepper

1 cup extra sharp cheese, sliced or shredded

1-2 tomatoes, sliced

1 cup potato chips, crushed

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine chicken, mayonnaise, onions, water chestnuts, lemon juice, celery seed, tarragon leaves, salt, pepper, and half the cheese. Mix lightly. Spoon into a casserole dish. Layer with sliced tomatoes. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and potato chips. Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

OMG Nachos

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: OMG Nachos! The first time I heard about putting tator tots on nachos, I thought, “What’s up with that?”.  Curiosity got the better of me. So I tried it and OMG Nachos were born! If you like cheese and potatoes, you’re going to love, love, love this! I pulled it all together in an iron skillet by arranging one layer of corn tortilla chips on the bottom and then around the edge of the pan to form a bowl. Next, I filled it with all the goodies. Fifteen minutes later I was wiping my chin from the incredible taste explosion in my mouth. OMG, you gotta try it. 

OMG NACHOS 

Ingredients:

1/2 bag of tator tots

Corn tortilla chips, café style

1/2 cup black beans, drained

2 tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup jalapeño slices

3 green onions, snipped

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese

4 ounces Havarti cheese

Salsa to taste

Guacamole to taste

Sour cream to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Place tator tots on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes; turn over and bake 10 minutes longer. Remove from oven and set aside. In an iron skillet, place one layer of corn tortilla chips on the bottom of the skillet and then arrange chips around the edge of the pan to form a bowl. Layer remaining ingredients, including tator tots, alternating with cheese. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and dig in. Top with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream to taste. 

Your Team Tailgate Cheeseball

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Your Team Tailgate Cheeseball. Elevate your next adventure in tailgating at home or in the parking lot at the stadium. I guarantee when you show up with this festive “football” cheeseball, heads will turn to take notice. If you really want to show off your team pride, wear colorful  jerseys or temporary tattoos. By the time the party’s over, you’ll be leaving with heightened expectations, good vibes, and a full stomach. That is, until the game begins and the munchies return. 

YOUR TEAM TAILGATE CHEESEBALL 

Ingredients: 

8 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, softened 

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 

1 green onion, snipped 

1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, diced

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled 

1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

1 slice mozzarella cheese 

Instructions: 

In a medium bowl, combine Neufchâtel cheese, cheddar cheese, green onion, pickled jalapeños, and garlic powder. Use a hand mixer to beat until well mixed. Shape the cheese mixture into the shape of a football. Place on a sheet of parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the Cheeseball with crumbled bacon and chopped chives, pressing firmly to coat. Transfer cheeseball to a serving dish. For the laces, cut the mozzarella cheese into thin slices. Leave one long piece for the center of the football. Arrange smaller slices in rows for the laces. Place the long strip horizontally over the top, down the middle. Press lightly. Serve with crackers and pretzels. 

Sage Cheddar Beer Bread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Sage Cheddar Beer Bread. Anyone can make this popular loaf of deliciousness. It doesn’t require yeast. It doesn’t require kneading. It doesn’t require complicated hoops to jump through, either. The freshly baked crust covers the soft cheesy texture inside. Feel free to toast a slice before sinking your teeth into its herbal addition. Bread-lovers unite. We’re on to something very pleasing and delightful right here. 

SAGE CHEDDAR BEER BREAD 

Ingredients: 

2 cups flour 

3 teaspoons baking powder 

3 teaspoons sugar 

1 teaspoon sea salt 

3 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped 

3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded 

12-ounces amber ale, room temperature 

1/4 cup butter, melted 

Fresh sage leaves, for garnish 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick oil; line the loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and sea salt. Stir until mixed. Fold in chopped sage and cheddar cheese. Add the beer, stirring just until the dough forms. Set aside. Warm the butter in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Brush the melted butter onto the parchment paper, the sides and bottom. Spoon the dough into the buttered loaf pan. Brush the remaining butter evenly over the top of the dough. Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, approximately 45-50 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Using the parchment paper, gently transfer the beer bread to a wire rack. Cool 20 minutes longer. Slice and serve. Garnish with fresh sage leaves. 

Nested Potato Cups

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Nested Potato Cups. Here comes the weekend. When you want hash brown potatoes with your morning eggs, but don’t necessarily want to go out in your pajamas, try this tasty version at home instead. It’s as uncomplicated as you want to make it. I chose to keep the eggs and the potatoes separate for leftovers later on. The potatoes won’t get soggy that way. However, dangerous minds want to keep the potato nest hollow in order to plop an egg in the center and tackle everything at once. That’s the beauty of cooking at home. Your kitchen, your rules. 

NESTED POTATO CUPS 

Ingredients: 

30-ounces frozen has brown potatoes, thawed 

1 cup onions, chopped 

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded 

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil 

Cheddar Cheese, for garnish

Fresh Chives, for garnish

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick oil. Set aside. Defrost and thaw hash brown potatoes. Drain all the liquid from the potatoes. Again, squeeze out all the excess liquid. Press dry with paper towels. Transfer potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Add chopped onions, Parmesan cheese, sea salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Stir ingredients well to combine. Press potato mixture firmly into the prepared muffin tins, forming a nest. Add more mixture to the center to mound slightly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the potato nests are crispy around the edges and golden brown in the center. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese. Garnish with fresh chives. Serve immediately. 

Kickshaw Grilled Cheese

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Kickshaw Grilled Cheese. Few things are as irresistible as a grilled cheese sandwich. I learned a secret, a few years ago, that switching out mayonnaise for the butter has its advantages. When sprinkled with onion powder, a savory essence of umami bursts through the taste buds for a culinary reaction that is deeply satisfying. Add that to the incredibly crisp crust and you can practically hear the applause. 

KICKSHAW GRILLED CHEESE 

Ingredients: 

2 slices sourdough bread 

2 tablespoons mayonnaise, for spreading

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

2 slices cheddar cheese, smoky flavor

2 slices Colby cheese 

2 slices American cheese 

2 slices pepper jack cheese

1-2 teaspoons red pepper jelly 

1 small jalapeño pepper, red or green, thinly sliced

Chili crisp, for garnish 

Instructions: 

Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on one side of both slices of bread. Sprinkle onion powder on top of the mayonnaise. Against the plain bread, layer one side of the sandwich with the smoky cheddar cheese, Colby cheese, American cheese, and pepper jack cheese. Spread a thin layer of red pepper jelly on the plain side of the other slice of bread. Place the jellied slice, mayonnaise side up on top of the layered cheese slice of bread. Transfer sandwich to an iron skillet. Heat the skillet over medium-low heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the cheese starts to melt and the bread turns a golden brown. Flip the sandwich over and cook 3-4 minutes longer. The cheese will be completely melted and the bread will be a golden brown. Remove from heat. Cut in half. Add sliced jalapeños, if desired. Drizzle with chili crisp for an explosion of flavor. 

Hash Brown Casserole

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Hash Brown Casserole. Restaurants got the hint that customers crave cheesy hash brown casseroles. Logically when dialing back meal portions, it makes sense to offer a form of potato other than the traditional baked potato. Have you seen the size of them? They’re ginormous. Oftentimes, my husband and I can split one baked potato between the two of us. At the risk of dating myself, hash brown casseroles have been around since that first fond memory of “funeral potatoes” appeared. After all, it’s comfort food that can magically “calm the chaos” in a sad situation. Now you can make cheesy hash brown casserole at home. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you already have the recipe in one of those local fundraiser cookbooks. 

HASH BROWN CASSEROLE 

Ingredients: 

32-ounce shredded hash browns, thawed 

16- ounces sour cream 

10.5-ounce can cream of chicken soup 

1/2 cup butter, melted 

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded, divided 

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine thawed hash browns, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, melted butter, diced onions, sea salt, black pepper, and 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese. Mix well. Pour into the prepared pan, spreading the potato mixture evenly throughout. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes until bubbly and golden. Serve immediately. 

Dried Beef Cheeseball

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Dried Beef Cheeseball! This is one of those all-time favorite appetizers that are crowd-pleasers. Some refer to it as “chipped” beef; others call it “dried” beef. I guess it depends on where you lived the first time you sampled it at a family friendly gathering. Either way, the umami salty savory concoction tickled your taste buds while tempting you for more. Just one more. In my experience, the firm texture of the spreadable cheeseball will last long after all the crackers and pretzels have vanished. Then there’s no other option but to “sigh” and reach for the celery sticks to finish it up. 

DRIED BEEF CHEESEBALL 

Ingredients: 

16 ounces cream cheese, softened 

4.5 ounces dried beef, chopped and divided 

5 green onions, chopped and divided 

8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 

Instructions: 

In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and chopped dried beef (reserving about 1/4 cup chopped beef), 3 green chopped onions, shredded cheddar cheese, seasoned salt, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder. Mix well. Roll into a ball and place in plastic wrap. Chill for one hour, or until firm. Unroll the cheese ball from the plastic wrap. Roll in the reserved chopped beef and remaining chopped onions. Serve with crackers. 

Beef Brisket BBQ Flatbread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Beef Brisket BBQ Flatbread! Looking for a quick mealtime hack? Did you know you can turn leftover beef brisket into a casual weeknight pizza supper simply by shredding it over flatbread?! No fuss; no muss. It’s literally so easy you can tell the kids (or grandkids) how to pull everything together while you’re sipping on your first glass of wine. It can be done with little effort, no drama, lots of encouragement, and praise that will make any foodie proud. See how the creative drizzle turns it into an artistic masterpiece? If it’s one thing I learned while raising my kids, it’s that whenever they helped me out with a recipe, they were pretty excited about chowing down afterwards. 

BEEF BRISKET BBQ FLATBREAD

Ingredients: 

1 prepared flatbread 

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1/4 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4 ounces smoked beef brisket, precooked and shredded 

1/4 cup marinated jalapeño pepper slices

Drizzle of sriracha sauce, for garnish

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Place the flatbread onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush the dough with the barbecue sauce. Layer the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses over top. Arrange shredded barbecue brisket over the cheeses. Add sliced jalapeño peppers. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the crust is slightly crisp. Remove pan from oven; cut the flatbread into triangles. Garnish with a drizzle of sriracha sauce.