‘Bleu Cheese’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Recipe: Baby Bella & Sausage Crostini with Bleu Cheese

August 26, 2014 · Narrative

Tasty little mushroom and sausage nibbles that are a perfect light appetizer when entertaining.

For me, recipe development is a very stream of consciousness type of thing, with one thought leading to another and before you know it, here we are with a new recipe. Inspiration can come from anywhere … a season, fresh produce, something random I saw on tv, farmer’s market goods, or a craving. Yesterday, while grabbing a few things off my grocery list at the store, I spied a basket of warm baguettes. And all of the sudden, I wanted crostini.

But not your every day summer crostini of mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and basil.

Something a little left of that.

How about a nice thin, crispy slice of baguette topped with sauteed baby bella mushrooms, sausage, and bleu cheese?

Oh yes.

Truth be told, I am forever looking for more ways to use bleu cheese.

The sausage I used was a pork sausage roll from Jones Dairy Farm. All natural ingredients and very gently spiced, it goes perfectly with the woodsiness of the baby bella mushrooms, and needs no extra spices or fancy ingredients. And because neither of my kids like mushrooms, this is an appetizer recipe I don’t have to share. Ok, well, I shared with friends next door. A little topping of melted bleu cheese, and it’s a nice little savory bite that comes together in about 15-20 minutes, give or take interruptions from little people.

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Recipe: Buffalo Style Roasted Cauliflower

February 27, 2014 · Narrative

Slightly hot. Slightly creamy. And full on delicious. This easy twist on roasted cauliflower will keep you coming back for more.

All cauliflower all the time.

Maybe I should start a cauliflower blog.

Kidding.

But I seriously feel like the only vegetables I eat are cauliflower and broccoli.

Mostly because they are.

And mostly because they’re easy.

So that means I’m always on the look-out for a new way to prepare them.

Especially broccoli, because the kids will eat it.

Not so much on the cauliflower.

And even though Nick is all about buffalo flavored things (most notably wings and this salad), he didn’t care for this Buffalo Style Roasted Cauliflower.

Which is only mildly surprising.

But no matter. Because I pretty much hosed the rest of it myself anyway.

His loss.

But it doesn’t need to be YOUR loss.

Because if you’re looking for a new way to eat cauliflower. Or if you, like Nick and I, like buffalo flavored dishes. Or if you’re on a high protein and vegetable eating plan. Or clean eating. Or Paleo. Or MediFast.

All of the above or none of the above. This one is not to be missed. So stupid simple, I’m not even giving a real recipe.

Oven at 425. Bite size cauliflower florets spread onto a greased baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with olive oil, mix to coat. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until they start to get golden brown. Remove from oven and put in a bowl. Add your favorite hot sauce. Just a bit to lightly coat the cauliflower. Mix so each floret gets some. Plate. Drizzle with a bit of your favorite bleu cheese salad dressing and top with crumbled bleu cheese (I’m partial to Amish Bleu for this one). Be sure to add the crumbled bleu cheese while the cauliflower is still warm, so it gets all nice and melty. Devour.

Go.

Hungry for more cauliflower recipes?
This Roasted Cauliflower Spread is a riff off one that Sarah and I enjoyed at Tom Douglas’ Lola in Seattle.
Visually, this Spicy Whole Roasted Cauliflower is a showstopper, and I made it for a cooking challenge at the CIA recently.
If you haven’t had this Cauliflower Steak with Homemade Caesar Dressing, I don’t know how to help you.
This super simple Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is a great comfort food spin when you’re craving carbs and cheese.
These Cauliflower Bread Sticks were another great riff, and delish!
This Mock Shrimp Risotto was almost as good as the real deal.
Cauliflower Crust Pizza for fulfilling all your pizza loving dreams.
And lastly, Cauliflower Garlic Mashed Potatoes will satisfy your comfort food craving.

Recipe: Bacon and Bleu Pinwheels {Pillsbury}

November 5, 2013 · Narrative

Bacon, Bleu cheese, and Boursin come together to make a delicious little party in your mouth … and the perfect appetizer for the holidays.

Now that Nick has fallen in love with these Cinnamon Crescent Rolls, every time he sees a roll of crescent roll dough in the refrigerator, he thinks it’s going to be his lucky day. So imagine his disappointment when I told him I wasn’t making them last night. Not to worry, he quickly rebounded when I mentioned bacon.

Both the kids are serious bacon addicts. To the point that I usually have to make twice as much as I need for a recipe because they will grab the crispy pieces as soon as they are cool enough to touch.

And, frankly, I don’t blame them.

When Pillsbury asked me to take a favorite recipe of theirs and put a twist on it for the holidays, I couldn’t agree fast enough.

First, because I love working with Pillsbury.

And second, because, well, bacon.

Who turns down a bacon project?

Not this girl.

I am a big fan of pinwheels. It’s a super simple appetizer to make, and the perfect holiday food. You know how when you’re celebrating holidays, everyone congregates in the kitchen? And you want to chat and keep them happy, but you still have exactly 13 dishes left to make and cook?

This is when these pinwheels are going to come in handy. Make ’em first, platter them up, and serve to your kitchen guests. Their mouths are busy munching, while you can finish your mile-long to-do list without too much distraction.

I took the Pillsbury recipe and made a few changes.

I used garlic dough, instead of regular.

Because everything is better with more garlic.

And instead of ranch, I used Boursin.

The garlic kind.

Yep. Double garlic in these babies.

Crispy bacon pieces.

And crumbled bleu cheese.

Lots of it.

Smatter it all about. Roll up the dough. Cut the spirals. Bake. Devour.

And suddenly holidays just got a little less complicated.

Tomorrow? Sahara Sam’s.

Hungry for more bacon recipes?
Devils on Horseback are OMG good, and not to be missed.
One of our favorite homemade pizzas ever.
Grilled cheese, bacon, and avocado. A delicious combination of comfort food.

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