Cherchies Blog

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Pumpkin and Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

lunchSheri SpalloneComment

Pumpkin and Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: About 10 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 2

Updated 11/3/2022.

Happy National Sandwich Day. What better way to celebrate this national holiday than with a tasty grilled cheese sandwich that embraces the warm, comforting flavors of Fall? Introducing our Pumpkin and Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe.

You had me at bacon and cheese, but creamy pumpkin, salty bacon, and melty cheese? Sounds a little bizarre, but yet it is intriguing, right? Sometimes ingredients you would not expect end up being a perfect marriage, and this sandwich, packed with salty-sweet goodness, will blow your tastebuds away. It is the perfect grilled cheese sandwich to make on a crisp Fall day.

What makes this sandwich so unique? The pumpkin puree, mixed with Cherchies® Champagne Mustard, pushes this flavorful sandwich over the top in the sandwich world. Combine that with bacon, two types of cheese, and fresh bread, and you have a delicious grown-up grilled cheese sandwich with flavors that will tantalize your tastebuds. So, are you ready to try this tasty Fall-inspired grilled cheese sandwich? Life is short; you must try new flavor combinations and expand your palate. You will not be disappointed. Enjoy!

Comment below if you have made this easy, flavorful sandwich recipe. As always, thank you for visiting. Please come back for more easy-to-make recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

  • pinch Kosher salt

  • 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard

  • 1 teaspoon (tsp) ground cinnamon

  • 1/8 teaspoon (tsp) nutmeg

  • 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) ground ginger

  • 1/8 teaspoon (tsp) allspice

  • 4 slices Italian, sourdough (our favorite) or any crusty bread

  • 2 slices cooked bacon (leftover holiday ham would also work)

  • 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

  • 1/2 cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese

  • 3 Tbsp butter, room temperature

Preparation
Combine the cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese in a small bowl and set aside.

Mix the pumpkin puree, Cherchies® award-winning Champagne Mustard, salt, and spices in a small bowl.  Spread the mixture (about 1 Tablespoon each) evenly on two slices of bread.  Divide the cheese mixture and sprinkle over the mustard.

Break the bacon slices in half and place two halves over the cheese.  Assemble the sandwiches by placing the other slices of bread over the bacon.  Spread 1 Tbsp butter over the top of each of the sandwiches. Melt the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Place the sandwiches (unbuttered side) in a skillet and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until the cheese begins to melt and the bread begins to toast.

Carefully flip sandwiches and cook on the second side for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and the bread is toasted. The idea is to cook it slowly until the cheese is melted without burning the bread.   Remove from heat.   Slice in half and enjoy!


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Seared Citrus Cilantro Scallops Recipe

appetizers, entrees, lunchSheri SpalloneComment
Seared Citrus Cilantro Scallops Recipe

Seared Citrus Cilantro Scallops Recipe

Cook Time: 20 minutes  Difficulty:  Easy

One food my family avoids like the plague is scallops...even with the one-bite rule (oh well, more for me).  I guess I really don't blame them as I too had quite the aversion to the slimy little suckers growing up, but boy how my tastes have changed.

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I absolutely love them now, and on occasion, I will cook them for myself as a nice lunch treat, but I've also served them to guests as appetizers!! Huge hit!

I love when a recipe comes together from experimenting (playing with food). Many of the recipes I researched had heavy sauces, and some had lime as the featured ingredient. I wanted light, flavorful, and different and wondered how three forms of citrus would taste with these little beauties, so I got cracking. 

The result? Amazing! Fresh succulent scallops, bursting with citrus flavor, tinged with a hint of cilantro, with flavors that will make your taste buds sing. So treat yourself or delight your guests with this fresh and flavorful dish.

Comment below and let us know if you made this tasty recipe. Thank you for visiting. Please come back again.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound jumbo sea scallops (12 to 15)

  • 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning Blend

  • Pepper to taste

  • 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) canola oil or olive oil

  • 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) low-sodium soy sauce

  • Juice of 1 lime wedge, 1 orange wedge, and 1 lemon wedge

  • 1 Teaspoon (tsp), or to taste Sriracha sauce (optional)

  • 2 Tablespoons citrus zest (here we used lime, Clementine, and lemon zest, for color and flavor)

  • Chopped fresh cilantro as a garnish (optional)

  • Lime wedges, for serving (could also use orange and lemon for a pretty presentation)

Preparation
Rinse the scallops with water and pat dry with a paper towel.  Gently remove the side muscle from the scallop if still attached.  It looks like a flap on the side of the scallop. Season both sides with Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro and pepper.  Set aside.

Next, with a Microplane, zest a lime, a Clementine orange (you could use regular oranges), and a lemon.  If you don't have a zester, no worries, you can simply use a knife.  (Check out our blog on "To Zest or Not to Zest").  

Mix the zest together and set aside.  Since you'll only need a couple of Tablespoons, freeze the rest in a plastic bag for later use.

Now for searing the scallops.  Don't let the word "sear" intimidate you.  It's really very easy.  It's simply using a good skillet, such as a cast iron skillet and browning food with high heat.  You'll also want to make sure you do not crowd the scallops, they like their "space", so cooking in batches is preferable. -Better Home & Gardens

Add the oil to the skillet and turn on the skillet to medium-high heat.  Add the seasoned scallops to the skillet and sear on one side until the bottom begins to brown, about 5 minutes.  Turn the scallops over and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the bottom is browned and scallop is opaque.  Remove the first batch and place on a plate and proceed to cook the remaining scallops in the same manner.

Allow scallops to rest briefly while you make the sauce.  Add the soy sauce and the juice of the citrus wedges to the hot pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to incorporate the flavor, and cook for about 2 minutes on high.  Plate the scallops on a platter and drizzle them with the pan sauce. Garnish the scallops with the citrus zest and serve.  Oh my!  Prepare to have your taste buds tantalized.  Enjoy!

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Blooming Tomato With Chicken Salad Recipe

leftovers, lunch, saladsSheri SpalloneComment
Blooming Tomato With Chicken Salad Recipe

Blooming Tomato With Chicken Salad Recipe

Cook Time:  30 minutes (if cooking chicken) Difficulty: Easy

Summer is approaching, and with that will be a plethora of juicy tomatoes.  I love ripe juicy tomatoes by themselves, but I also love them filled with a creamy salad.  This easy "bloomin" tomato chicken salad is perfect for a ladies luncheon, brunch, or a fancy treat for yourself! Even kiddos will love this recipe.

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To get our children to eat any mayonnaise based salad is a chore, and chicken salad is no exception. However, I stumbled upon this "copycat" version of their beloved Chick-fil-A chicken salad, and tried it on them. Knowing full well my kiddos would balk at the tomatoes, I made them chicken salad sandwiches. They were a hit! Now, this is the only chicken salad our kiddos will eat.

You can add the grapes and pecans if you'd like (my favorite), but I knew my kiddos would draw the line at those additions, so I left them out.    

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Chicken breasts, cooked

  • 1/3 cup Celery, finely chopped

  • 1 hard boiled egg, chopped

  • 2/3 cup Mayonnaise

  • 1 Tablespoon Cherchies® Champagne Mustard

  • 1/3 cup sweet pickle relish

  • 1/4 tsp pepper, fresh ground

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • 1/2 cup chopped grapes (optional)

  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

  • Ripe tomatoes

  • Parsley (optional garnish)

Preparation

I usually cook the chicken and eggs the day before, so Place the cooked chicken in a food processor and pulse until chicken is chopped.  (Coarsely hand chopping the chicken will work just as well).  Place chicken into a medium bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl.  Stir.

Carefully cut slits into the tomato (scoring) from top to bottom, making sure not to cut all the way through.  Gently pry the tomato open.  Season with salt and pepper.

Add a dollop of chicken salad to the tomato and garnish with parsley.  That's it!  A delicious mouth watering treat.  Enjoy!

 

 

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Pizzazzed Burger Recipe

entrees, lunch, grillingSheri SpalloneComment

Pizzazzed Burger Recipe with Herbed Sweet Potato Fries

Cook Time: 20 minutes (if don't freeze, otherwise 40 minutes)  Difficulty: Easy

Burgers have to be one of our family's favorite meals, all kinds!  You can make a burger out of practically everything (meat, beans, vegetables, etc.), and according to daysoftheyear.com, May is hamburger month.  

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One of our favorite burgers is our Pizzazzed Burger, made with our special Pepper Pizzazz Seasoning Blend!  For years at our swim club cookouts, people would ask, "What seasoning did you use in the burgers?...They're amazing!"  

In celebration of hamburger month, this mouth-watering burger recipe will have your guests asking for seconds.  We have made this basic recipe with beef as well as ground chicken and turkey.  It's a must have in your recipe arsenal. Add our favorite toppings (mustards, ketchups, or special sauce combinations) for a delicious tasy burger.

Short on time?  Purchase frozen burger patties from your local grocery store, and sprinkle Cherchies® Pepper Pizzazz on top.  Instant flavor (this is what we used to do at our swim clubs for those impromptu cookouts).

So fire up those grills...it's burger season.  What's your favorite burger recipe?  We'd love to hear from you!  

Ingredients

Preparation

Saute the onions in olive oil.  I don't always do this step (Ok, sometimes I get lazy). Fresh finely minced onions are just as good.  Set aside.  Add remaining ingredients plus the cooked onions to a large bowl.  

Mix with hands to just combine.  Shape into patties and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Next, use your thumb to make a little well in the burger (Thank you Rachael Ray for that tip).  Freeze for about 30 minutes.  My hubby swears by this step, but I've made them without freezing.

Turn grill onto High then low after grill has heated up.  Cook to desired doneness.  

Serve with our Herbed Sweet Potato Fries, Festive Deviled Eggs, and Strawberry Spinach Salad for a complete meal.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

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