French Green Beans Recipe

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French Green Beans Recipe

Cook Time: 30 minutes  

Difficulty: Easy

I'm always looking for easy, tasty vegetable dishes, and this one is cheesy with a touch of sweetness from the peppers.

This recipe is perfect for holiday gatherings and potluck get-togethers.

Ingredients

• 2 pkgs. (10 oz. each) frozen French style green beans

• 3 Tablespoons (Tbsp) butter

• 4 Tablespoons (Tbsp) flour

• Milk

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) salt

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Worcestershire Sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) dry mustard

• 1 jar Cherchies® Pretty Peppers

• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook beans in a pan with 1/2 cup of water for 3-4 minutes.  Melt butter and blend with flour.  

Drain beans and use this liquid and enough milk to make 1 1/2 cups of liquid.  Add to butter and flour mixture and stir until thickened.  Season with salt, Worcestershire, and mustard.  

Add 1/2 jar of Pretty Peppers and 1/2 cup of cheese to the sauce.  Place beans in a casserole dish and pour sauce over top.  

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 jar of Pretty Peppers on top of bean mixture.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese to cover.  

Cook for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Turn on broiler during the last couple of minutes to brown the cheese.  Happy Cooking!

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Serves 8-10

Homemade Cherry Applesauce Recipe

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Cherry Applesauce Recipe

Cooking Time:  About 30 minutes  Difficulty:  Easy

Homemade applesauce needs no introduction, but what about cherry or strawberry applesauce? (What?)  Variety is the spice of life, right? 

We have a one-bite rule in our family (I am notorious for trying new things on our kiddos), but I never mention the word "new"...EVER...they get very suspicious. Recently, I made a "new" version of their beloved applesauce and waited for their reactions. 

Apple butter (apples cooked down to a butter consistency) is my secret ingredient in my applesauce.  This time, I made my kiddo's favorite chunky applesauce (Granny Smith and Gala apples, pictured) and substituted cherry butter for the apple butter.  Then I watched and waited with bated breath as their faces contorted as they took their first bite.   It was quite funny.

Needless to say, the "new version" was such a hit, the next night I tried Strawberry Applesauce. Success!  So, it's time to "spice up" your applesauce recipe and introduce Cherchies® Cherry Butter or Cherchies® Strawberry Butter".  Who knows, maybe your family will love it too!

Here's how it's made.

Ingredients

• 6 Apples, peeled and roughly chopped (I'd suggest a variety of apples...Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala...whatever makes you happy)
• The juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 jar Cherchies® Cherry Butter (may also substitute Cherchies® Apple Butter Spread or Cherchies® Strawberry Butter Spread
• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) Cinnamon

Preparation

Roughly chop the apples and place them in a large bowl with the lemon juice.  Mix the apples and the lemon juice until apples are coated.  Add the apples to a skillet or pan and turn heat to low.  Add the Cherry Butter Spread (Yea baby!) and cinnamon. 

Cook apples on low, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender, about 30 minutes.  There is usually enough liquid from the cherry butter and the juice from the apples, but you may need to add a little water as the applesauce cooks. You can certainly mash the apples as you go, but as I mentioned, my kiddos prefer the chunks;)  

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Enjoy!

Cheesy Havarti Dill Pull-Apart Bread Recipe

Cook Time:  20 minutes    Difficulty:  Easy

Oooey gooey cheesy bread is hard to resist.  Anything cheesy makes me weak in the knees.  But, imagine soft, crunchy artisan bread, melty Havarti cheese, drippy butter and Lemon dill spice...oh my!  I'm sorry to tempt you, but this recipe is so delicious, I just had to share it with you.

I thought our kiddos were going to faint the other night when I served this bubbly cheesy creation at dinner.  They kept asking what was in the aluminum foil?  I simply answered, "Just bread". Little did they know...

The fact that they were having soup (not their favorite), mom emerged as the hero (I like being the hero) when this glorious creation was unwrapped.  Not only did our kiddos devour the cheesy bread, they used the bread to sop up the rest of the soup.  Yes!

So, enjoy some Cheesy Havarti Dill Pull Apart Bread (made with the best dill seasoning blend...Cherchies® Lem 'n Dill) tonight with your favorite soup and our Strawberry Spinach Salad for a complete meal, or serve it as an appetizer.  I guarantee, this melty cheesy recipe will disappear before your eyes, and who knows, maybe your children will eat their soup too;)

Ingredients

• 1 loaf sourdough or artisan bread

• 1 block of Havarti Cheese

• 1 stick of butter, melted

• 2 green onions, chopped

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) poppy seeds

• 1 Tablespoon Cherchies® Lem 'n Dill Seasoning Blend

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  With a sharp serrated knife, cut even slits into the bread, being careful not to cut completely through.

In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the butter for 30 seconds in the microwave.  Add the poppy seeds, Cherchies® Lemon Dill Seasoning, and green onions to the melted butter.  Stir and set aside.  Slice the Havarti cheese into 1/2 inch slices, then into squares.

Carefull pry apart bread and begin to stuff the slits with the cheese.  Spoon the melted herb butter mixture over the stuffed bread, prying apart bread as you go to allow the yummy goodness to sink in.  My mouth is watering already.  Wrap in aluminum foil and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is gooey and bubbly.  Wait for it...

Mmmmm...it doesn't get much better than this;)  Enjoy!

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Champagne Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Butternut Squash Recipe

Champagne Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Butternut Squash Recipe

If I had been told five years ago I'd be eating Brussels sprouts,  I probably would have laughed uncontrollably in that person's face (not really, that wouldn't be very nice, but I would have snickered a lot;)

Now, if I had been told my children would eat Brussels sprouts, I would have suspiciously looked around for hidden cameras, convinced I was on one of those prank-based television shows.

Up until five years ago, I loathed Brussels sprouts. (I mean, I really, really loathed the smell, the texture, everything.) But it was when my hubby and I were out to dinner one night I had one of those culinary epiphanies.  

Hypnotized by Brussels sprouts' power, I decided to try the funny-looking vegetables intently staring me down on my plate. "You can do it, " they whispered.

Perfectly prepared (tender-crisp) Brussels sprouts roasted in delicately aged balsamic vinegar and simple seasonings (salt, pepper, and garlic) hooked me, and I needed to recreate this tasty recipe at home. How could I have missed out on this nutritional powerhouse for so long?

The true test was my children (yeah, right). One rule in our home is "the one-bite rule." In other words, our children don't have to like what we make but must try it. I made the Brussels sprouts according to the chef's recipe, except I substituted our Garlic Seasoning for the garlic, and then it happened! I thought, "No way," based on their wrinkled noses,” that the Brussels sprouts would ever be consumed. Perhaps I had pushed my family too far, but I was astonished; my family loved them!

Mom, Dad, we're eating Brussels sprouts!

I recently amped up my recipe and came up with this concoction to see if I could once again challenge my family’s palate. It worked! Not only did they eat all their vegetables, my children had second helpings and fought over the Brussels sprouts. What kids fight over Brussels sprouts? I swore I was dreaming;) Maybe I need to starve them more often (just kidding).

The Champagne Vinaigrette at the end added the perfect zing to this dish, a dish you must try. As far as your children, "may the Brussels sprouts be with you."

This would be the perfect dish for the holidays, and I think next time I make this dish, I'll substitute our Cranberry Mustard in lieu of the Champagne Mustard for that festive flare.

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have made this recipe. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1-inch chunks

• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

• 1 bag of Brussels sprouts, sliced lengthwise

• 1 Pomegranate, de-seeded

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning

• pepper to taste

• Olive oil

• Balsamic Vinegar

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) White Wine Vinegar

• 6 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Olive oil

Preparation

Prepare the vinaigrette by whisking together the champagne mustard, the vinegar, and the 6 tablespoons of Olive oil.  Set aside.

Wash the squash, Brussels sprouts, and Pomegranate (check out our cooking tip on how to remove Pomegranate seeds easily).  Chop the onion coarsely into 1-inch chunks, the Brussels sprouts into half, and the butternut squash into cubes.  Place them in a large jelly roll (may need two) or baking pan.  Generously drizzle with oil and mix with your hands to coat evenly.

Generously drizzle Balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with Garlic Seasoning and pepper.  Mix with hands again to evenly coat.  You can certainly use a spoon to evenly mix, but I prefer playing with my food;)

Roast vegetables at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until Brussels sprouts have a golden color (You do not want the Brussels sprouts to be mushy).  Test them with a fork.  For the last 5 minutes of cooking, add pomegranate seeds.  

When vegetables are cooked, remove them from the oven and drizzle with the champagne vinaigrette. Mix and enjoy.

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Champagne Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Butternut Squash Recipe

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