German Cheese Fondue

I made the following for my Oktoberfest event. You can read and get other recipes from the event HERE.

Megan & Matt’s German Cheese Fondue
recipe from HERE

1 sack, 10 ounces, 2 1/2 cups, shredded sharp Cheddar, available on dairy aisle
1/4 to 1/3 pound, 4 to 6 ounces, Gruyere, shredded
1 rounded tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup German lager beer
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
A few drops hot sauce
A few drops Worcestershire sauce

For Serving:
1 1/2 pounds cubed or thick sliced and browned wursts: knock, brat or brot,
1 package mini party franks (recommended: Boars Head)
1 head cauliflower, separated into florets
1 small jar mini Gherkin pickles, drained
1 small jar pickled onions, available on vegetable aisle
1 small, round loaf rye, pumpernickel or sour dough bread, cubed

Combine cheeses in a bowl with flour. Add beer to a small pot and bring up to a bubble over medium heat. Reduce the heat to simmer and add cheese in handfuls. Stir constantly, melting the cheese in batches. Stir in a figure-eight pattern with wooden spoon. When the cheese has been incorporated fully, stir in the mustard, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Transfer fondue to warm fondue pot.

In a large skillet, bring 2-inches of water to a boil and blanch the cauliflower for 2 to 3 minutes, drain and arrange around the fondue pot.

In the same pan, bring the cooking water back to a boil and add the mini franks and sliced wursts. Cook, uncovered until all the liquid has evaporated. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan to crisp the casings. Pile wursts and dogs near fondue. Complete the dipping selections with dishes of pickles, onions and cubed bread.

Sweet & Spicy Baked Ham

Sweet & Spicy Baked Ham

For the Sweet & Spicy Baked Ham, I was able to handle on my own… and it was my offering to make up for the storebought bird. Here’s my recipe, which took a little bit from quite a few different recipe ideas:

1 city ham, fully cooked, spiral cut
1 cup spicy mustard
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350.
Line roasting pan with parchment paper.
Place ham on a rack or cut side down.
Liberally brush on mustard all over the ham.
Carefully press brown sugar to coat the ham over the mustard layer.
Drizzle honey over the brown sugar.
Tent the ham loosely an bake for 1 hour*
*Bake about 10 minutes per pound – I used a 6 lb ham.

Random, but Good!

The recent time adjustment of changing back our clocks is still one we’re getting used to. By the time I get home from work, I sometimes feel too exhausted to cook because it feels like it’s later than it really is. Tonight was one of those nights. So with 2 chicken breasts staring at me and some leftover rice my husband made earlier in the day, I felt like a culinary McGyver. The end result? Honey Mustard Chicken with Confetti Rice.Here’s my recipe for Honey Mustard Chicken:

2 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons honey
garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper to taste
1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 375.
In a shallow dish, combine honey & mustard.
In another shallow dish, place panko.
Season chicken with spices to your tastes.
Coat chicken with honey mustard mixture.
Dregde chicken in panko.
Place chicken on lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake chicken in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes (depending on thickness) or until done.

To make the Confetti Rice, I sauteed onion & garlic in a little oil. When softened I added finely diced bell peppers – red, green and yellow. After the peppers heated up, I added the cold rice and folded it in with the sauteed ingredients. Heat until warmed through, and seasoned with garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste.

BBQ Potato Salad

We made the following dish during the Tailgating Cooking Class I hosted. You can view pics of the event HERE.

BBQ Potato Salad

2 lbs red potatoes

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sour cream

2-3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon BBQ rub seasoning
3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1/2 cup crispy bacon, crumbled

1/4 cup chives or green onion

Boil potatoes in water until tender; drain.

Place potatoes in large bowl and coursely chop in chunks.

Add mustard, mayonnaise, sour cream, BBQ seasoning, salt and black pepper; combine.

Gently fold in eggs, bacon, chives/green onion.

Cover and chill at least 2 hours up to overnight to meld flavors.

Sprinkle additional bacon, chives/green onion and BBQ seasoning to taste and for color.