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Strawberry Rolls with Orange Icing #brunchweek

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This post is sponsored in conjunction with #BrunchWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #Brunchweek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

Brunch Week

It has been a crazy year so far. I decided to let my blog sort of fall in the background of my life again, and I’m a bit bummed about it. So many things have been happening this year, which is a bit crazy for me. I’m used to me and my husband sort of having quiet evenings at home, and well…I kind of made myself SUPER busy the past few months.

To re-motivate myself back into blogging, I am joining up with some amazing bloggers for #brunchweek! The sponsors were ridiculously generous with us bloggers, and I’m excited to feature 3 recipes using products from the sponsors for #brunchweek!

This first one just screams spring/summer to me! Fluffy rolls with plenty of strawberry filling, topped with a sweet orange icing. It’s just SO good! I used Dixie Crystals Sugar, Red Star Platinum Yeast and Nielsen-Massey Almond Extract to make these rolls, and y’all..these rolls are just spectacular! If you want a fruity twist on the average cinnamon roll, give this a try! Another perk to this recipe is that the rolls come together fairly quickly, considering it’s a yeast-based roll recipe!

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Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Cheesy Sausage Dip

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Cheesy Sausage Dip

Hello y’all! I can’t believe we are finally officially in SPRING! It’s time to plant new flowers, have the semi-annual fight with pollen (ha), fork out the warm weather clothes, and well…have more parties!

When it comes to hosting family and friends in our home, I’ve learned that simpler is better. I used to make elaborate meals for parties, but it’s hard to enjoy a party when you’re stuck in the kitchen the whole time! I really only go all-out for Christmas or Easter. Other than that, I prefer to stick with easier recipes. I especially love spring, because typical spring parties = crawfish boils in Louisiana. However, sometimes the guests come hungry (way before the crawfish are finished), so a quick/easy dip recipe that stays warm in the slow cooker is just the ticket!

I like to make this dip just before the guests arrive, so the cheese on top is nice and melty for everyone to enjoy. It’s ridiculously simple to make and it’s always a crowd pleaser! 🙂

Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Cheesy Sausage Dip
Source: adapted from Southern Bite

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz. sweet Italian sausage
  • 16 oz. Velveeta, cubed
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
  • 10 oz. can RoTel Diced tomatoes and chiles, drained
  • 11 oz. can Mexican corn, drained
  • 1 tsp. taco seasoning
  • 1 cup shredded taco blend cheese

Directions:

  1. Brown the sausage fully in a pan. Once the sausage has fully cooked, drain and discard the leftover fat.
  2. Add the cubed Velveeta and cream cheese to the pan with the sausage, and cook/stir on low heat until the cheeses have melted.
  3. Add the drained tomatoes, corn and seasoning to the pan, and mix until fully incorporated.
  4. Transfer the dip to your slow cooker and set the slow cooker to warm. Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the dip. Cover, and serve with tortilla chips after the shredded cheese starts to melt.
  5. Enjoy!

 

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Thick & Chewy CC Cookies

A while back, I realized that quite a few of my recipes lost their pictures when my previous website hosting company lost a bunch of my photos. I’m making it a mini goal of mine to update the pictures. I’m going to try my hardest not to edit the original wording on the posts (so you may see fiance in there…we’ve been married for almost 8 years now haha!).

I do have to admit that this recipe is STILL my go-to recipe years later, and I’ve passed it to many friends as well. 🙂 Give this recipe a try, if you’re looking for a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe. I sometimes add in M&Ms to add something extra to these cookies (pictured above).

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I’ve read a lot of great reviews about this recipe for Chocolate Chip cookies. The only reason I made these (since they are SO not diet friendly) is because our over-generous neighbors were landscaping at the same time as my fiance and I. They gave us ALL of their leftover top soil (which was more than what we needed.we didn’t even have to open any bags that we purchased at Lowe’s). So, my fiance suggested that I bake them something. Any excuse to bake works for me! AND it felt good not to use applesauce haha!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Brown Eyed Baker from Baking Illustrated

Makes about 18 large cookies.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10 5/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
  • 1 cup packed (7 ounces) light or dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1-1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate chips)

Directions:

  1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
  3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.
  4.  Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.
  5. Bake until the cookies are light golden grown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a side metal spatula.

I will admit, these are some crazy procedures on this recipe (jagged edges on top, what?). However, follow them to the T! The cookies will come out a little gooey, but if you leave them on the baking sheet, they will finish baking into a perfect cookie! The jagged edges do bake into a neat looking top as well.

Dessert for Valentine’s Day & Gift Ideas (+ GIVEAWAY)

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by JORD. I received product in exchange for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

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I love Valentine’s Day. Maybe it’s because it’s another fun opportunity to throw together a gift for my husband (after the holidays), but I’m also a hopeless romantic. I love the idea of giving something meaningful to that special someone and spending quality time with them.

Some years, we’ve done small gifts (like favorite snacks) and then there are some years that are a bit more of a splurge. When it comes to my husband, I find that I have to really keep my eyes peeled for gifts for him. He typically purchases what he wants, but there’s always something he doesn’t think of. 🙂

When I first heard of JORD, I thought that these wood watches would make a perfect gift for Valentine’s Day. I have never seen such a unique watch like this before. Their men and women wood watches are completely stunning, and unlike anything I’ve ever seen in stores! So many of their watches caught my eye, but the product I decided to review was their Frankie 35 watch.

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Besides the beautiful watch, I was really impressed by the packaging. The watch comes in a gorgeous wooden box, with the watch surrounding a small burlap pillow. It’s gorgeous and definitely gift-worthy!

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The watch was custom-fitted to my wrist as well. I have really small wrists, and while I know you can have watches resized, it’s a nice added touch to have it fitted to your wrist already when you gift it to someone. The wooden watch band that I received was rich and beautiful…the pictures hardly do it justice! I feel like this is a wonderful idea for a Valentine’s Day gift. It’s beautifully packaged, completely unique and I can completely appreciate the range of prices that JORD has available in their watches!

Are you interested in JORD watches? JORD is generously offering a contest through The Nifty Foodie. One winner will receive a $100 e-gift code, and EVERYONE who enters will receive a $25 e-gift code. All e-gift codes will expire on 3/31/2017.

Enter Here!

Note: This giveaway is supplied by and coordinated through JORD, and is open to readers in the continental US only over the age of 18. Entries will be accepted until January 29th, 2017. JORD will receive your email address, and it may add you to a mailing list. Winner will be contacted by JORD. All e-gift codes will expire on 3/31/2017.

When it also comes to Valentine’s Day, I really enjoy making a nice dinner for my husband and me. I’m not a fan of waiting 2-3 hours in a restaurant, and since I’m a fan of cooking and baking, it’s a no brainer to DIY a Valentine’s Day dinner! One of my favorite indulgences around Valentine’s Day is chocolate, and while I enjoy making a nice, elaborate dinner, I try to keep dessert on the easier side (to where it’s prepared ahead). This flourless chocolate cake is not only indulgent, it’s very quick to throw together. If your special someone is a lover of chocolate, I’d highly encourage you to give this a try. It’s super rich and there’s no shortage in chocolate flavor here!

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Flourless Chocolate Cake
Source: slightly adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:

  • 4 oz. good-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus additional for sprinkling

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom of the cake pan with parchment paper.
  2. Chop the bittersweet chocolate into small pieces, add the butter, and melt the chocolate mixture (by double-boiler or microwave). To melt in the microwave, melt the chocolate mixture in a glass bowl in 30 second increments at 50% power, stirring after each cooking cycle, until melted. To melt in a double boiler, either use a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring well until smooth.
  3. After the chocolate mixture has melted, whisk the sugar into the chocolate mixture. Add in the eggs, vanilla extract & salt and whisk the mixture well. Sift in 1/2 cup of the cocoa powder over the mixture and whisk until just combined (do not overmix).
  4. Pour the batter into the cake pan, and bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes, or until the top of the cake has formed a thin crust. Remove the cake from the oven, and cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving plate.
  5. Dust the cake with additional cocoa powder and serve with sorbet or ice cream. Enjoy!


Wooden Wristwatch

Skillet Tamale Pie

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Skillet Tamale Pie

Louisiana’s winters are so crazy. One day, it’s in the 20s and two days later, it’s in the 70s. I can’t figure out a menu with all of these darn weather changes! One day, it’s perfect for comfort food and the next, I feel like I need to make kabobs on the grill haha!

Of course, I love comfort food days. I bookmarked this recipe a couple of months ago when I got an email from America’s Test Kitchen. It was such a simple recipe to throw together. It’s basically beans and ground beef cooked together, topped with a cheesy cornbread crumbly topping. If you make the cornbread in advance or purchase some at the store, this is great for an easy weeknight dinner to throw together! This was a winner, and both my husband and the in-laws said I needed to make this one again! 🙂
Skillet Tamale Pie
Source: Cook’s Country

Ingredients:
  • 10 oz. pre-made cornbread, crumbled (about 2 1/2 cups)
  • 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp. minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
  • 1 1/2 lbs. 90-percent lean ground beef
  • 2 (15.5 oz. each) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 (10 oz.) cans Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained, 1/3 cup juice reserved
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions:
  1. Place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the cornbread, 1 1/2 cups cheese, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.
  3. Heat the oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat, until simmering. Add chopped onion and chipotle pepper, and stir/cook the mixture until the onion has softened (about 5 minutes).
  4. Add in the ground beef, being sure to break up the ground meat well as it cooks. Cook the mixture for about 5 minutes, until the beef is no longer pink. Stir in the beans, Ro-Tel and reserved juice, and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add in 2 tbsp. cilantro and the other 1 1/2 cups of cheese, and stir the mixture well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  5. Sprinkle the cornbread mixture evenly over the meat/bean filling. Place the skillet in the oven, and bake until the cornbread mixture is golden brown (about 10-15 minutes). Garnish with the remaining cilantro. Enjoy!

 

Butcher Box Review

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Disclosure: Butcher Box provided me with products at no cost to me, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

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Steak night. There’s just something special about steak nights in our house. A few years ago, we went to our first steakhouse dinner, and we quickly realized what we were missing when it came to a perfectly cooked steak. Super thick cuts of meat, seared perfectly, resulting in a melt in your mouth-type of dinner. It was just outstanding, and because of that experience, our steak purchases were forever changed.

When we first got married, we used to buy whatever steaks were on sale at the grocery store. It didn’t matter the cut…as long as it was beef, we were game for it. I remember looking at the price of ribeye and filet, and thinking really? Is it worth it? It’s all cow. Ignorant ignorant ignorant. Y’all…yes, it’s worth it!

Now that my husband has a nice grill, I especially love steak nights. He can somehow grill a killer crust on a steak, and I’m a medium-rare/medium steak gal myself. He gets it perfectly every.single.time. Steakhouse at home? Yes, indeed!

The folks at Butcher Box reached out to me, and asked if I’d like to give one of their monthly deliveries a try. I had a choice between All Beef, Mixed (Beef/Chicken/Pork), Beef & Chicken or Beef & Pork. I just HAD to get the All Beef box….we cook chicken all the time in our house, so beef is a nice change. 🙂

I was so impressed with the care that they took in the shipment. The beef was still frozen solid (thanks to dry ice), and everything was vacuum packaged for us to throw into the freezer.

Butcher Box Review

Our package contained grass-fed beef strip steaks, top sirloins, tri-tip steaks, thinly sliced beef, ground beef and a package of bacon. That’s enough for several meals in our 2-person household. Our package also included recipe cards to use with their products! It’s just a well done (ha, I crack myself up!) package.

So far, all of the meat we have tried has been fantastic. I find that grass-fed beef is more flavorful, and the quality of the meat is great! All of the steaks are good, thick cuts of steak, too. Perfect for grilling!

I love what Butcher Box offers. First of all, you don’t have to source out your meat. They deliver 100% grass-fed beef, organic chicken, and all-natural pork straight to your door. I also appreciate that it’s pre-portioned out for easy freezing. Also, shipping is included in the cost, so you know exactly what you’re paying when you choose a subscription box.

Also, if you’re looking for a last-minute gift idea, Butcher Box offers gift subscriptions. I think that’s a really neat, out-of-the-box idea. I know of a few people in my life who would love something like this (think of the person who has it all…what a unique gift idea, right?).

Thick & Chewy Double Chocolate M&M Cookies

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Double Chocolate Cookies

A couple of weeks ago, I had the itch to bake. Life has been a bit crazy since the flood happened out here, but when work brought up that there was going to be a Halloween potluck, I just needed to bake SOMETHING.

Baking is one of those things that just makes me stop thinking about the other stressors in life. When it comes to baking, I just need to follow a recipe…no other thoughts required. 🙂 Also, the end product is usually something delicious.

I was flipping through my Cook’s Illustrated Baking Book, and this recipe just stood out to me. It calls for one full pound of chocolate, which to me, is always a winner. I just happened to have one of those pound bars of Trader Joe’s chocolate, so I think it was fate. These cookies had to happen. 🙂 In this recipe, there’s the option to make them triple chocolate, by mixing in chocolate chips, but I decided to add in some M&M candies instead.

These cookies were almost like fudge-y brownies in cookie form. They were soft/chewy and super rich, which always makes for a good cookie! You definitely need a glass of milk with a cookie like this, and I really couldn’t eat more than one. It is jam-packed with chocolate! I imagine these are going to be added to my holiday baking list, since they were such a hit with coworkers. How festive would these be with holiday M&Ms?

Thick & Chewy Double Chocolate M&M Cookies
Source: Cook’s Illustrated

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. table salt
  • 16 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp. instant coffee or espresso powder
  • 10 tbsp. unsalted butter (1 ¼ sticks), softened but still firm
  • 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup M&M candies

Directions:

  1. Melt the semisweet chocolate in the microwave, by heating the chopped chocolate at 50% power for 2 minutes. Then, stir the chocolate, and heat the chocolate again at 50% power for 1 minute. Stir again, and if it isn’t melted, heat the chocolate for an additional 30-45 seconds at 50% power. Allow to cool, while completing the next steps.
  2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set the dry mixture aside. Place the eggs and vanilla extract in a small bowl and beat the mixture lightly with a fork. Sprinkle the espresso/coffee powder over the egg/vanilla mixture and set it aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed for about 5 seconds, until smooth and creamy. Mix in the light brown and granulated sugars on medium speed until combined, for about 45 seconds (the mixture will look granular). Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and gradually add in the egg mixture, beating for about 40 seconds (or until incorporated). Turn off the mixer, and scrape the bottom and sides of the mixer bowl with a rubber spatula. Putting the mixer back on low speed, add in the melted chocolate in a steady stream and beat for another 40 seconds (or until combined). Turn off the mixer, and scrape the bottom and sides of the mixer bowl with a rubber spatula once again.
  4. With the mixer on low speed again, add in the dry flour mixture and mix the dough for another 40 seconds (or until combined). Be careful not to overbeat the dough. Carefully fold in the M&M candies. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and allow it to stand at room temperature until the dough appears to be scoopable and fudge-like (about half an hour).
  5. While the dough is resting, adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Then, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2 cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  6. Once the dough is ready, scoop the dough using a 1 3/4 inch diameter ice cream scoop and place each dough ball on a cookie sheet, being sure to leave about 1 1/2 inches between each dough ball.
  7. Bake the cookies until the edges have begun to set, but the centers of the cookies are still very soft (about 10 minutes), being sure to turn the cookie sheets from front to back and switching from the top rack to the bottom rack about halfway into baking the cookies.
  8. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven, and allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for about 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to the cooling sheets, and allow the cookies to finish cooling until they reach room temperature. Enjoy!

All About The Turkey (+ GIVEAWAY)!

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Disclosure: Butterball provided me with a turkey gift check, as well as two other turkey gift checks to giveaway, in exchange for a post. All opinions are 100% my own.

You guys. I am the worst! My laptop has been going crazy for a couple of months, and it seems to be on its last leg. 🙁 I have so many recipe ideas to share with y’all, and now that I have a new laptop, I’m excited to be sharing some delicious food (as well as other random talk) just in time for the holiday season!

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In a couple of short weeks, it’s going to be Thanksgiving. I can’t believe I’m typing that, but it’s so true!

Whenever I’m planning out my menu for Thanksgiving, I always plan out the turkey first. How am I going to prepare it? When do I need to thaw it? How much turkey do I need? There’s a lot of thought that goes into the turkey, because it’s essentially the main event for the whole meal.

Now for a first-timer, that’s a bit overwhelming. I remember thinking…as long as my turkey doesn’t end up like Catherine’s (from Christmas Vacation). Goals, right?

Butterball has been known for years as being the professionals that home cooks turn to when it comes to all things turkey. For years, they have offered their Butterball Turkey Talk-Line services, but now they will be offering something new — week-long 24/7 text help!

Yep, you read that right…TEXT HELP. Butterball will be expanding their Butterball Turkey Talk-Line services, by allowing customers for the first time to text in their cooking questions. This will be offered from November 17-24. The service will help customers looking for how-to tips, cooking support and any other turkey questions that customers may have. Text help will be available 24/7 by texting 844-877-3456.

Other ways that you can get help through the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line include:

  • How-To Videos – available at Butterball.com or YouTube.
  • Website/Mobile App – Butterball.com and the Butterball Cookbook Plus App contain so much like coupon savings, trusted recipes, how-to videos, and key tips for success, to name a few big features.
  • Social Media – Butterball has presence on Facebook , Twitter , Pinterest and Instagram for tips, special savings, recipe inspiration, some behind-the-scenes looks at Butterball and more!
  • Live Chats – Talk to the turkey experts through Live Chats on Butterball’s website during the months of November and December for real-time suggestions/advice.
  • Email – You can always email Butterball here to get helpful tips and tricks conveniently in your inbox.
  • 1-800-BUTTERBALL – As always, you can call the Turkey Talk-Line experts from November 1- December 24 to get help with your Thanksgiving cooking questions.

There’s so many wonderful ways to get the help that you will need this Thanksgiving season!

The generous folks at Butterball want to offer TWO readers of The Nifty Foodie a turkey gift check!

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below (must be over the age 0f 18 and live in the continental US):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: This giveaway is supplied by Butterball, and is open to readers in the continental US only over the age of 18. Entries will be accepted until November 14th, 2016 at 11:59pm (central standard time). Winner will be emailed (make sure you leave an email address in the form), and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

 

Hello again!

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Hey everyone! Long time, no see! 🙂

Life has been a bit crazy lately. Most of the crazy has been due to a natural disaster that happened in parts of south Louisiana about a month ago. What we all thought was a normal, heavy rain event turned into a devastating flood for hundreds of thousands of people who live in the Baton Rouge area. We had to evacuate, due to the water quickly rising on the highway near our neighborhood (we didn’t want to end up in a rescue situation). However, by the grace of God, we were spared. Our new house is fine, but for some of our family members, they were not spared.

Now that we’re all adjusting to the new normal of having family members living with us, I feel like it’s time to come back and get back to sharing food and random things with you guys. 🙂 I’ve missed it so much, and with the holidays just around the corner, I feel like it’s the perfect time to come back!

I’m sure quite a few of y’all have stopped visiting, but I hope some of y’all stuck around!

 

Cheesy Bacon Onion Panini

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Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Cheesy Bacon Onion Panini

I feel like I have a problem that I need to admit to y’all. I have an Amazon Prime problem. A big one. I feel like we get an Amazon package every other day. Am I the only one? I just feel like if I don’t have to fight the long lines and traffic, it’s just easier to shop online. And with two-day shipping? You just can’t beat it.

A couple of weeks ago, Amazon had their big Prime Day, and they added in special deals for you to order through the Amazon Echo. For the longest time, I’ve really only used our Echo to play music in the kitchen while cooking, but hey, if I can order something for pretty much half off through Alexa…why not? I ordered some Greenies for the pup, and a new Cuisinart grill/griddle (yay!).

Why buy a grill/griddle when I have 3408934 kitchen appliances/tools (yes, I know I have a problem…)? Well, um…when it comes to summer cooking, I really get annoyed with heating up the entire kitchen when I’m only cooking for two. So, it’s going to be really great to heat up one appliance for cooking, and not make the A/C work overtime to keep the house cool.

I’m also all about quick meals lately, too. So, when the folks at Jarlsberg asked me to incorporate their cheese into a recipe, a panini immediately came to mind. I just love a sandwich full of melty cheese, and I thought that caramelized onions + bacon would be a fantastic addition to the mild, nutty flavor that Jarlsberg has. (I mean, you can’t go wrong with bacon, right?)

This is such a delicious panini. You can make a bunch for a party, and serve it in small triangles, or just simply enjoy it for lunch. 🙂

Cheesy Bacon Onion Panini
Source: a Nifty Foodie original

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp. canola oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, sliced into thin half rings
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 8 slices of thick-cut bacon, cooked and cut in half
  • 2 cups grated Jarlsberg cheese
  • 8 slices of thick, crusty bread
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

  1. Heat the canola oil in a pan, and add in the sliced onions, as well as the salt and pepper. Cook on low, stirring occasionally, until caramelized. Set aside and allow to cool.
  2. Once the onions have cooled, assemble the paninis. Lightly butter one side of each slice of bread, and keep the buttered sides of the bread on the outside of the sandwich (for grilling). On the inside, assemble with 1/2 cup of cheese (divided to where there’s cheese on the inside of each slice of bread), then add 1/4 of the onions and 2 slices of bacon in the middle.
  3. Once all paninis are assembled, preheat a grill pan on medium heat. Once the pan is heated, place the paninis, two at a time, in the grill pan. Press with a heavy panini press, checking often to see when the bread is starting to brown. Flip the bread and press again, until the other side is browning. Remove from heat, and repeat for the other two paninis. Enjoy!