Cheesy Jalapeno Bacon Brussels

Well, we’re under a tornado watch here in Texas.  Ah the beauty of Spring in the south, right?  That all being said, I’m not really keen on taking my boys and I outside to play this fine afternoon, so I figured it was time to update my other love.  My food blog.

This spin on one of my favorite recipes by Lisa Fain, aka The Homesick Texan, will even have your “I loathe Brussels sprouts” friend’s socks knocked right off!  I’m not kidding…I am a Libra and I do not lie, I am fair and loyal and tell no tales.  It’s damn good!

So next time you see those intimidating sprouts waiting for your approval and love in your local supermarket, please do your dinner party and that loathing friend a favor.  It’s easy, unique and impressive.  It’s Cheesy Jalapeno Bacon Brussels Sprouts!

*If you do not have a cast iron pan, pour the mix into a broiler proof baking dish prior to placing in the oven. 

**You can remove the seeds and pith from the jalapeno if desired…but I always ask, “why??” 😉

 

The Starting Lineup

• 2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved/quartered
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (1 Tbsp grease reserved)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 jalapenos, minced
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 heaping Tbsp. flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 8oz pepper jack cheese, shredded
• 4oz cheddar cheese, shredded
• a  hefty pinch each of salt, pepper, cayenne and cumin

Begin this tasty side dish by crisping up your bacon, while also bringing a stock pot of salted water to a boil.

Once the water has begun to boil, add in the prepared Brussels sprouts (stems trimmed and halved or quartered) and let cook for 6-7 minutes.  Once tender, pour into a colander and run cold water over to stop the cooking.  *Also set aside the now cooked bacon.

Preheat your ovens broiler and place a rack about 6″ from the top.

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet on low heat, melt the butter along with the reserved bacon grease.  Add in the minced jalapenos and let sweat down for 2 minutes, followed by the minced garlic for the last 30 seconds.  Next, add in the flour and whisk for about 1-2 minutes till browned and then pour in the whole milk while, again, continuously whisking.  Stir ever so often for the next 5-7 minutes as the mixture thickens.  Careful not to let it come to a boil.

Stir in 1/2 of the shredded cheese and the spices.  Keep stirring allowing for the cheese to turn into a real gooey cheese sauce.  Make sure to taste test here; I always add a bit more salt and cayenne than you may think needed.  Next fold in 3/4th of the cooked bacon and the par-cooked Brussels.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 of shredded cheese all over top of the Brussels and place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.  Careful to watch closely and do not let burn!  Every oven is so very different!

Once browned and bubbly, remove, sprinkle with the remaining bacon crumbles and allow to rest for a few minutes..it is hot!!

Serve warm and ENJOY folks!!

 

 

 

Jalapeño Creamed Corn Stuffed Tomatoes

Like most, when the outside air turns warm (hello 💐 Spring!!) and our grill is always going, I love me some corn!  Not many vegetables go so well with grilled meats and BBQ!  However, to avoid the debacle that is shucking corn and/or soaking it, taking up room on our grill (we were also making racks of ribs, friends) and messy corn-on-the-cob eating faces..I decided for a different route!

Besides corn, cream and spice are my other two favorite food groups, so let us combine them shall we??  You may think, “oh, I’ve had creamed corn growing up.  I don’t like it.  Way too sweet.  Too gloopy.  No cans for me.”  Well, just try it my way, please!!  The corn here keeps its slight sweetness, but it also keeps its shape and crunch!  The cream doesn’t taste artificial and a slight heat from the jalapeño really brings life to this dish!  Jalapeños bring life to me, but that’s another blog post in the making….anyway, just try it would ya!

*ok, the tomatoes are optional, but they’re adorable, easy and healthy!  If you prefer just the jalapeño creamed corn, I don’t blame you one bit.  I “sampled” this far too often before I stuffed the roasted tomatoes for our meal.  

The Starting Lineup

• 4-6 on the vine tomatoes 
• 16oz frozen corn 
• 1-2 jalapeños, minced (we like a bit of heat, so I used two and left seeds in!)
• 1 8oz package cream cheese, softened and cubed
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of salt & pepper 
• Milk, to thin at the end (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and place a rack about 6″ under your broiler.  Also prepare a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Rinse and pat dry your tomatoes.  Using a serrated knife, carefully cut off the tops of each tomato and set aside.  Now using a spoon, also carefully run along the inside and scoop out the seeds/juice.  *It may seem tough at first, you can use your knife to get things going, but it all scoops out together beautifully.  Sprinkle the insides of each tomato with a pinch of salt and ground pepper and set the cored tomatoes aside along with their “lids”.

Now, heat a medium sized skillet with 1 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat.  *I used my favorite, fabulous green chili infused oil from our local oil & vinegar market, 1890.  Sooooo good!  Pour the bag of corn straight into the hot skillet along with the minced jalapeño(s).  Toss around a bit till you really start to smell that roasting flavor, about 4-5 minutes, adding the garlic for the last 30 seconds.

Drop the temperature down to medium-low.  To the now heated through corn and peppers, add in the cubed cream cheese, butter, cayenne and salt & pepper.  Stir to combine and help melt.  

After it sits for a bit, prior to stuffing the tomatoes, I stir in a bit of milk to thin to your desired consistency.  It will come back and hold together, I promise.

*While the creamed corn is coming together, place the cored tomatoes onto your baking sheet and pop in the oven for a few minutes, allowing to soften and heat up.

Once combined, (and thoroughly sampled) remove the sheet of warmed tomatoes from the oven and scoop spoonfuls of the spicy, creamy corn straight in!  I like it overflowing!!  Top each filled tomato with its “lid” and place the baking sheet back into the oven and switch over to broil.  Now you can use low or high setting, but just watch closely!!  This just takes mere minutes, especially if on high!

Remove from oven and serve with ..oh I dunno…maybe a rack of ribs, roasted potatoes and cheddar biscuits!  We kind of liked that 😉 Enjoy!!

Sausage Waffle Dippers

Sunday: a day of rest and brunch.  Yep, that pretty much sums up my perfect last day of the week.  *I know, I KNOW…on a calendar it is technically the first day of the new week,  but no one I hang with really believes that.  

My brunch varies, we’re often with a cheesy omelette or quiche or eggs Benedict, but this particular day was for the kids..the kid in all of us!  My lil boys, being lil boys, love pancakes, waffles, sausage, bacon..you get the picture.  Good ol’ American breakfasts.  They also LOVE to dip their food and I just happened to have these handy wooden skewers in the pantry (I have zero idea what I originally bought them for, but they fit the bill here) that needed some use out of them.  Combine a few pantry staple ingredients and you may just be deemed parent of the year!  Well at least for today..at breakfast time..

*I did use pancake/waffle mix..but I must be honest.  Homemade waffle mix would be better..though I doubt your kids will really notice, nor care.

The Starting Lineup

• Waffle mix (store bought or homemade)
• Sausage links, cooked
• Wooden skewers
• Syrup, to dip

**The vegetable oil was needed for the pancake/waffle mix per instructions.

Spray your waffle iron with non-stick spray if necessary and heat to medium heat.

Prepare your store bought OR homemade waffle batter and cook your sausage links through if they’re not already precooked.  *Mine were precooked, but I recommend still warming up for a minute or two in a pan, microwave or even on the skewer in the waffle iron before you add the batter.  I also made a double batch of waffle batter per my box for this.

Thread the cooked sausage links onto your wooden skewers individually.  Pour 1/2 of the waffle batter onto the bottom grid of your waffle iron and then immediately place the skewered sausage links over the batter, letting the ends of the sticks hang over the waffle iron side.  Pour remaining batter over top the sausage and close lid.  Cook 5 minutes or until your waffle maker deems them golden brown!  

See them sticks hanging out the side??

Carefully remove from the waffle maker (hot!!!) and cut each waffle in half/so that each serving has a skewered sausage.  Serve alongside warm syrup for dipping, enjoy!!

*Any leftover batter I had, I made extra waffles with no sausage..I have to say though, the adults even dug into the dipping variety!