Tag Archives: cheddar

Baked Broccoli Parmesan Dip

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Appetizers and tagged with , , , , , ,
Baked Broccoli Parmesan Dip

Baked Broccoli Parmesan Dip

Believe me, I went through some major mental arguments with myself before making this dip.   Really silly isn’t it?  Why would I need to convince myself to make something so unbelievably good?

With broccoli as its primary ingredient you’d expect it to be really healthy right?   A reason to make it.

Cream cheese, sour cream, and cheddar cheese….all healthy in their own way, but collectively, that’s a lot of  fat and calories    A reason not to make it.

Serve with toasted French bread slices;   oh, oh more calories.   Do I really want to make this?

While all this was going through my mind, a little voice kept saying, ” just go for it, you know you want to.”

Well, as you might guess, the little voice won out,  and boy am I glad.   Once tasted, never forgotten!

I did make some concessions by using low-fat cream cheese, sour cream and milk.

 

BAKED BROCCOLI PARMESAN DIP

Yield:   about 4 cups Dip

Ingredients:IMG_8382

  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1/4 cup Panko crumbs
  • 8 oz. cream cheese ( I used low-fat)
  • 2  1/2 cups broccoli florets (thaw if frozen)
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar, divided
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (used low-fat)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 Tbsp. creole seasoning ( I used cajun spice)
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • loaf of French bread, sliced 1/4-inch thick and toasted

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375*F.  Lightly spray a shallow baking dish or casserole.

2.  Heat the olive oil, add Panko and cook, stirring till browned and toasted, about 3 minutes.  Set aside.

Melt butter and add Panko crumbs to toast them.

Melt butter and add Panko crumbs to toast them.

 

Remove when the crumbs are golden and crunchy.

Remove when the crumbs are golden and crunchy.

3.  In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, milk, seasonings and salt and pepper.  Mix well to blend.

 

Whip together cream cheese, sour cream, milk and seasonings.

Whip together cream cheese, sour cream, milk and seasonings.

Stir in broccoli, cheddar, and Parmesan cheeses.

Stir in cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.

Stir in cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.

4.  Spread into prepared pan, sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar.

Spread in baking dish,

Spread in baking dish,

 

Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.

Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake till bubbly, about 20 – 25 minutes.

5.  Sprinkle with Panko,  serve warm with sliced, toasted bread.

Baked Broccoli Parmesan Dip

Baked Broccoli Parmesan Dip

 

SOURCE:   Emeril Lagasse

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A Loaded Panini

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Quick Meals, Sandwichs and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

By day #4 of not having a refrigerator, I’m really getting to the bottom of the barrel in terms of what I can create for a meal.  This is what I have to work with:  some deli sliced smoked turkey,  sliced cheddar cheese and sliced provolone,  a few strips of bacon, and a tomato.  Does that sound to you like it could become a sandwich?   That’s what I thought, too.  EXCEPT we don’t have any bread.  So, I had to cheat a little.  I stopped at the grocery store and got a few rolls.  So for dinner this evening we had Toasted Panini Sandwiches with Sweet Potato chips and pickles.

Grilled turkey, bacon, cheese and tomato panini.

Grilled turkey, bacon, cheese and tomato panini.

A while ago I treated myself to a Panini//Grill pan.  I’m so glad I did.  I no longer use the electric sandwich toaster I had been using, choosing now to make grilled sandwiches on the stove top using the panini grill.  Plus this grill pan is great for grilling burgers or steaks and chops quickly indoors if you can’t use the outdoor grille.  Note that the pan comes with a weighted flat cover that is used to compress sandwiches, or anything else that you want to keep flat as it grills.

Panini Grill Pan

Panini Grill Pan

This is a little off today’s subject, but I also have a George Forman Grill that I don’t use.  I’m not pleased with the results when I use it.  Instead of getting a nice browned sear on meats, mine seem to steam-cook rather than grill.   Am I doing something wrong?  If anyone reading this has any suggestions for me I’d love to hear them.  Thanks.

The rolls I purchased were sesame bulky rolls.  So, starting with the rolls, slice each one in half, and spread each cut side with a little mayonnaise.   Next start layering in the fillings:  thinly sliced turkey breast, as many slices as you like, and  sliced cheese.

Sliced turkey and sliced cheese placed on the split rolls.

Sliced turkey and sliced cheese placed on the split rolls.

Then lay on the already cooked bacon slices, and sliced tomatoes.  A sprinkle of seasoned salt on the tomatoes is good, or regular table salt.

Lay on the bacon and tomato slices.

Lay on the bacon and tomato slices.

Lightly butter the bottom of each roll and place on the heated panini grill pan.  Place the flat weight on top of the sandwiches to press them, and toast till nicely browned on the bottom.  Now lightly butter the tops and flip over so the top get toasty and browned, the filling continues to heat and cheese melts.  Be careful to keep the heat on low or the rolls will become too crisp before the fillings heat and melt.

This is what the sandwiches looked like while grilling,

Sandwiches grilling.

Sandwiches grilling.

And this is what the finished sandwiches look like:

Plated sandwich with sweet potato chips and pickle.

Plated sandwich with sweet potato chips and pickle.

Note the  top side of the sandwich; it has grill markings on it, and the top is nice and toasty.  I like to use sesame rolls for this because the sesame seeds get toasted and their flavor is more pronounced.   Yum!  Wish you could taste this—-it was great.

A great sandwich whether for lunch or a light supper.

A great sandwich whether for lunch or a light supper.