Brie En Croute (Baked Brie)

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, pre-packaged
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons minced walnuts
• 3-5 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• 1 (8-ounce) wheel Brie
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• Crackers, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Defrost puff pastry for approximately 30-40 minutes (depending upon room's current temperature) and unfold.
In a small bowl, melt the butter in microwave for 30 seconds or less. Mix the walnuts, cranberries, agave and brown sugar in the butter.  Lay the puff pastry out on a flat surface.  Pour walnut mixture in a pile on the center of the dough sheet. Place the brie on top of mixture. Gather up the edges of the pastry, pressing around the brie and gather at the top. Gently squeeze together the excess dough until sealed.  Reserve any excess dough.  Flip over.  Brush the beaten egg over top and side of Brie. Place Brie on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes until pastry is golden brown.
Serve with crackers.

To give a special look, cut extra pastry into leaves and berries 


(Adapted and modified from Paula Deen and foodnetwork.com)

 

 

Baconish Baked Mac & Cheddary Cheese

 

Ingredients:

• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
• 1/2 soup can milk
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 of a 1-pound package rotini pasta (I used the tri-color kind) or medium shell pasta (about 1 1/2 cups), cooked and drained
• 2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons butter, melted
• * I also added about 1/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon and about 1/2 cup leftover rotisserie chicken

Directions:

 

1) Heat the oven to 400°F.  Honestly, I don't remember, but I may have lightly sprayed the casserole dish first.

2) Stir the soup, milk, black pepper and pasta in a 1-quart casserole.  Add bacon and chicken if using.   

3) Stir the bread crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the pasta mixture.                                                    

4) Bake for 20 minutes or until the pasta mixture is hot and bubbling.

 

(recipe adapted from campbellskitchen.com)

Mini Garlic "Monkey Breads"

Ingredients

• 2 (7.5 oz) cans buttermilk biscuits
• 6 Tbsp butter, melted
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp dried or fresh parsley flakes
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus 2 Tbsp. additional to sprinkle on top if desired

Instructions

1. Cut biscuits into 4 pieces and place in a bowl. I like to use kitchen shears of a pizza cutter to the cut up the biscuits.
2. Combine the melted butter, garlic, parsley, and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese together and pour over the biscuit pieces.
3. Gently toss the biscuit pieces to get evenly coated with the butter mixture.
4. Using a 12 cup muffin tin, place 6-7 pieces of the coated biscuit dough into each muffin cup. Use the additional 2 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top of the breads in the muffin cups.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm. Makes 12 mini garlic monkey breads.

Recipe can easily be cut in half to make 6.  Perfect alternative to garlic bread.

(Adapted from realmomkitchen.com)