Gruyere Chive Popovers

These are delicious! Even though I served them for dinner, they would make a great brunch or lunch item as well. I made two batches: one of "mini" popovers, and another "regular" size. The only change is next time I plan to use more chives to balance the flavors a little more. Since I don't have a popover tin, I used my muffin tins and they turned out just fine! If you make the mini version, make sure to decrease the baking time, and enjoy!

3 cups whole milk
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 eggs
1 1/4 cups (lightly packed) shredded Gruyere cheese, separated
2 Tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk just until bubbles form around the edges.

Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, and then slowly whisk the warm milk into the eggs, whisking constantly so eggs don't cook. Whisk in the flour mixture just until combined, then whisk in 1 cup of the cheese and the chives.

Place the popover pan in the oven for 2 minutes to heat. Remove it and add a pat of butter to each cup. Once the butter has melted, portion the batter into the cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Top with a portion of the remaining cheese.

Bake the popovers for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 300ºF, and continue baking about 10 more minutes. (See Kelly's Notes.)

Remove the popovers from the oven and serve warm.

Gnocchi Mac 'n Cheese

This recipe is an adult take on mac 'n cheese. I loved the texture of the gnocchi with the cheesiness of the sauce. Next time I might add in some vegetables, like roasted tomatoes, kale or spinach. And, definitely more panko crumbs!

2 tbsp butter
2 tsp garlic, smashed (about 2 cloves)
1 tbsp flour
1 cup low-fat milk
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/3 cup fontina, grated
1/3 cup gruyere, grated
1/3 cup parmesan, shredded
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place the gnocchi in salted, boiling water and cook until they’ve floated to the surface for a couple of minutes. Drain and place gnocchi in a single-layer in a 1-1/2 quart shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour until it thickens and bubbles, then whisk in milk and dijon. Continue to whisk mixture and cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. 

Combine the gruyere and fontina, and then add the cheese by the handful to milk mixture, stirring until melted before adding more. Once all the cheese is melted, taste the sauce and season it with salt and pepper. Pour sauce evenly over the gnocchi. 

In a small bowl, combine the parmesan and panko – then, sprinkle the mixture evenly on top of the gnocchi. Bake the gnocchi until they puff and the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Let the gnocchi rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Lasagna "Roll Ups"

I am not much of a lasagna person -- even though I love pasta, lasagna just doesn't do it for me. But I loved these roll-ups! They combined those wonderful flavors of cheese and tomato, with an interesting twist. And, it makes for a great weeknight meal -- not too much work, and easy to clean up! I can't wait to try it again with different variations (eggplant, spicy sausage, etc.)

8 lasagna noodles

1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic

12 ounces spinach

1 egg

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup burrata cheese

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 C tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat a large pot of water to boiling over high heat.  When it reaches a boil, salt liberally and drop noodles.  Stir occasionally and cook to just al dente, approximately 10 minutes.  You want to leave them slightly more firm since you'll be baking the pasta.  Drain noodles and set aside.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add spinach and sautee until wilted.  

In a small bowl, lightly beat egg.  Add ricotta, Parmesan and red pepper flakes. Spray pan lightly with cooking spray.  To assemble, on a drained noodle, add a spoonful of ricotta mixture.  Top with a spoonful of spinach and roll up.  Place seam side down in pan.  Continue until you've used all the noodles.  Top each with with burrata and tomato sauce.  Bake approximately 20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.