Gourmet Grilled Cheese

Gourmet Grilled Cheese

Karri Perry-Blue Ribbon Favorites 

Easy to make one, or for a big family or a crowd… use the oven method to get melty sandwiches and to keep a full tray of sandwiches warm and cheesy until ready to eat.

Traditional: 

Sourdough Bread

Butter or Mayo

Garlic Salt

Mix 3 Cheeses: 

Cheddar-Shredded 

Gouda

Monterey Jack

Pesto Grilled Cheese:

Sourdough Bread

Butter or Mayo

Garlic Salt

Fresh mozzarella 

Shredded Monterey Jack 

2 Tbs fresh pesto

Cheesy Fig and Apple:

Sourdough Bread

Butter or Mayo

Garlic Salt

Shredded Gruyere 

Shredded cheddar

Fig jam-2 Tbs

Thinly sliced honey-crisp apple

In a skillet-on the stovetop turn on medium low heat. 

Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter

Spread butter or good mayonnaise (Duke’s) on one side of each sourdough slice-the buttered/mayo side will be on the outside of sandwich. 

Place cheeses and ingredients on the unbuttered side.

Close up sandwich and place in the warm skillet.

Allow bread to brown and toast slowly on each side. Sprinkle each side of bread with a tiny pinch of garlic salt.

To encourage cheese to melt:

Place a lid on the skillet to help cheese fully melt. The lid holds in the heat and helps the cheese to melt more quickly.

Oven Finishing Method: 

For extra crispy-melty grilled cheese- place the almost finished toasted grilled cheese on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 7-10 minutes more until fully melted.

*For extra cheesy crisps—sprinkle a handful of shredded cheese onto the parchment paper before placing the sandwiches for their final toasting in the oven. Place the sandwiches directly on top of the cheese. The shredded cheese will melt and crisp up around edges and on the outer bread of the sandwiches. 

It’s ok to sprinkle a little cheese on top of the sandwiches too.

*The key is to begin the cooking on low heat-to slowly toast bread while also melting cheese. Using a lid really helps melt the cheese.

*Yes, you can change up the cheese combinations, the key is using melty cheeses and using at least two kinds, for flavor.

*Yes, adding other ingredients liked caramelized onion, pepperoni, ham, jam or a fresh herb is a great way to make a delicious sandwich even better.

No-Knead Yeast Bread

 No-Knead Dutch-Oven Bread

Karri Perry-Blue Ribbon Favorites 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tsp instant quick-rise yeast (I use Red Star brand)

1 tsp sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups warm water (not hotter than 110 degrees)

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I use King Arthur brand)

Use a 4qt Dutch Oven with lid for best results. (I use a Lodge 4.5 qt Dutch Oven)

Directions:

In a medium bowl measure the flour and add the salt.  Set aside.

Measure 1 1/2 cups warm water, add the instant yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 4 minutes-it should become bubbly and foamy.

Pour the warm yeast and sugar water into the bowl of flour and salt.

Gently stir together, creating a shaggy sticky dough. 

Stir just enough to incorporate all the dry flour—then stop.

Cover dough and let rise until doubled in size-usually about an hour.

Turn oven on to 400 degrees, placing the empty Dutch-oven with lid on the middle rack of the oven to heat up.

Once dough has doubled in sized, turn dough out onto a very well floured parchment paper.

Shape into a round ball.

Dust with flour, score bread and allow to sit for 20 minutes as oven heats up.

Carefully, with oven mitts, remove hot Dutch-oven from the oven, remove the lid, lift the parchment paper with the bread into the hot Dutch oven. Add the lid.

Bake for 25-30 minutes with the lid on.

After 25-30 minutes, carefully remove the lid— and return the bread back to the oven for an additional 12-15 minutes-until loaf is puffed and golden brown.

Place bread on a cooling rack to cool for at least 1 hour before cutting. (Cutting warm bread can cause a gummy texture.)

Because this bread doesn’t contain any fats-it’s best served the same day that it is baked.

Leftover bread is great made into croutons or bread pudding or a breakfast casserole.

Save leftover bread in a closed brown paper bag.

Creamy Bean Soup with Ham

Creamy Bean Soup with Ham 

Karri Perry| Blue Ribbon Favorites 

Ingredients: 

2 Tbs olive oil

1 medium yellow or Vidalia onion peeled and chopped (medium dice)

2 cloves garlic minced

2 cups fresh carrots-peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces

1Tbs tomato paste 

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika 

1 tsp dried ground thyme

2 cups sliced ham-1 inch pieces

4-6 cups water (add more if needed-especially if simmering for a few hours)

1 ham bone or ham hock

3/4 cup half and half or cream

3-13 ounce cans of Northern White Beans (or use Cannellini, Butter Beans or White Kidney Beans) -your choice you can drain or not drain the beans-either way works.

Yes, you can use a broth, instead of water. I would suggest choosing a low sodium option. When adding a ham bone or ham hock-the process of cooking for 1-2 hours makes it’s own salty broth.

Yes, you can use dried beans. Follow package instructions—usually they need to be rinsed, then soaked for 12-24 hours before using.  Also-some dried beans come with seasoning packets. Be sure to use those sparingly, and taste at the end to add more and especially salt.

Yes, you can use lentils or other beans not listed in the ingredients list.

Yes, you can cook the soup on the stove top for longer than two hours. Flavors really build and marry—during the cooking process and with soups, letting them simmer low and slow for a few hours creates a more intense flavor. 

Be sure to add more water or broth as needed if you’re cooking for longer, and stir regularly. 

Keep it at a low simmer-not boiling— I often start a soup in the morning and we have it for dinner… so it’s on the stove simmering for 8-10 hours.

This is where a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven come in handy.  They help evenly heat a soup or stew and prevent scorching as long as you keep the heat to a low simmer and stir it every now and then.  

Soups freeze wonderfully.  Let soup cool down, place in a lidded container-leave two inches for space at the top-so the liquid can expand. Freeze up to 4 months. Remember to write on the container what’s inside—I promise, after a month—frozen soup and frozen bbq look very similar!! Add the date and the name-you’ll thank yourself later.

For reheating frozen soup, place the frozen soup with the lid on in a bowl of very warm water for 4 minutes.  The warm water will  allow the frozen block of soup to release-loosening it from the edges— similar to releasing a jello mold. Gently warm the soup on low heat, add a 1/2 cup of water to the pot to help it melt.  Bring soup to a gentle boil for 1 minute -then simmer and enjoy.

Directions 

In a large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven, sauté the onion in the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until onion softens.

Add garlic and tomato paste.  Stir for 2 minutes, then add the chopped carrots, and spices (pepper, thyme, smoked paprika).

To the pot add 2 cups of sliced ham-cut into 1-inch pieces.

Add 4 cups of water.

Add the beans.

Add the ham bone. 

Simmer over low heat for 1-2 hours-the longer you simmer the soup the more tender the vegetables and the flavors build.

After 2 hours-remove and discard the ham bone.

To the pot add the half and half.

Simmer on low until ready to serve.  

Taste for salt, often the ham is salty, and imparts those flavors and the soup will often not require additional salt.

Serve with crusty bread, or crackers.

Marbled a pound Cake

 

Vanilla & Chocolate Marbled Pound Cake

Karri Perry|Blue Ribbon Favorites 

Makes one large Bundt cake; serves 12-16

Ingredients:

3 sticks unsalted butter-softened

3 cups granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

6 large eggs-room temperature 

1 8-ounce package cream cheese (softened)

3 cups cake flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon bourbon 

—

3 teaspoons dark cocoa powder

1 4-ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate bar (melted)

2 Tablespoons very hot water 

Ganache:

3/4 cups heavy cream

1 cup (generously measured) chocolate chips-either milk chocolate or semisweet.

Ganache can be made ahead. Warm the cream to very hot-but not boiling in the microwave. Carefully add the chocolate chips, gently stir until all chocolate is fully melted. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of bowl. Ganache will be shiny and glossy. After ganache has cooled for 30 minutes-refrigerate and ganache will become thick and fudge-like as it cools.

Directions for Cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Middle oven rack

Important: Grease and flour tube or bundt pan, set aside.

Cream the softened butter and sugar together for 2 -4 minutes, add the softened cream cheese. Mix until light and fluffy. Scrape side of bowl as needed. Add the oil.

Add the eggs one at a time, incorporate each egg before adding the next. Mix batter for 2-3 minutes on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and bourbon, mix to combine.

Gently add the cake flour and salt. Mix until just combined. 

Using a dry measuring cup, reserve 3 generous cups of plain vanilla flavored batter. Place in a medium bowl. Set aside. (This will become the chocolate batter)

Break the chocolate into small chunks. Place the chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl and microwave at 30 second intervals, stir in between each of the 30 seconds, until melted. (Takes about 1-2 minutes usually)

Once melted add the cocoa powder to the melted chocolate and stir.

Add the chocolate mixture to the reserved batter, gently fold in the chocolate-until it’s uniform in color. Add two Tablespoons of very hot water to the chocolate batter-this will loosen the batter-making it spreadable.

In the greased bundt or tube pan, add alternating large dollops (about 1/2 cup-sized) of chocolate and vanilla batter.  The process of adding the batter together does not need to be symmetrical or especially neat-because we will swirl them together in the next step.

Transfer all of the batter (both the chocolate and vanilla) into the prepared loaf pan.  

Use a long wooden skewer or the thin blade of a butter knife to swirl the batter inside the pan. Make a few passes from one end of the pan to the other to swirl. 

Begin by baking the cake for 1 hour on the middle rack of a preheated 325 degree oven. After 1 hour, gently place a piece of aluminum foil on top of the cake to prevent over browning. Simply lay the foil on top of the cake.

Continue to bake the cake for an additional 45-55 minutes longer-until a tooth pick comes out cleanly from the center-showing no wet batter. (Total bake time is typically 1 hour and 50 minutes.)

Remove cake from the oven, let rest for 5-10 minutes in the pan.

Turn cake out onto a cooling rack. Allow cake to cool to room temperature before glazing with chocolate ganache.

Add ganache to the cake, drizzle from a few inches above the cake. Reserve extra ganache if any, to serve with cake slices. Enjoy.