Give the Gift of Cherchies® Specialty Gourmet Foods

Give the Gift of Cherchies® Specialty Gourmet Foods

Since 1978, Cherchies® (pronounced Chur-cheese) has been "spicing up" kitchens around the country with our gourmet mustards, seasoning blends, soups, and preserves.

The holiday season is in full swing.  Have a "foodie" in your life who loves to cook?  Let Cherchies® take the stress out of your "foodie" holiday shopping.  

We have your favorite Cherchies® items available in gift packages, along with recipes for each of our products on our blog.

Perhaps it's something savory you're looking for.  We have a variety of seasoning blends, including no-salt seasonings, perfect for holiday recipes.  

Or perhaps you're looking for something sweet and spicy, then our award-winning Mustards and Pepper Jams may be the answer.  They can be used to make easy appetizers, glazes for meat, condiments for sandwiches, salad dressings, and so much more!

And don't forget our soups, it's comfort all wrapped up in a package.  

And speaking of packages, we have your favorite Cherchies items available in gift packages.  So, this holiday season, allow Cherchies® to "spice up" your favorite "foodie's" kitchen, and simplify your shopping in the process.  Happy Holidays!

Shop Small Saturday- We Love Small Businesses!

"Small Businesses are the heartbeat of your neighborhood, the spine of your local economy, and the spirit of your town" - American Express.

Cherchies® Specialty Foods is happy to be a part of "Shop Small Saturday", this Saturday, November 28, 2015.  

Join us this Saturday,  as we will be offering specials on our gourmet food line all day.  Have a foodie in your life?  Perhaps it's something savory you're looking for.  We have a variety of seasoning blends, perfect for holiday cooking.  Or perhaps you're looking for something sweet and spicy, then our award-winning Mustards and Pepper Jams may be the answer.  And don't forget our soups, it's comfort all wrapped up in a package.  And speaking of packages, we have your favorite Cherchies items available in gift packages.

Make sure you are signed up for our newsletter so you don't miss out on all the "Shop Small Saturday" fabulous details.  Go to www.cherchies.com, page down to the bottom, and enter your email information. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lemon Dill Freezer Breakfast Sandwich Recipe

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Lemon Dill Freezer Breakfast Sandwich Recipe

You might not think of lemon, dill, and eggs for breakfast.  What?  Yep, I know, but stay with me.  I shared the same concern when my hubby introduced me to the combination 27 years ago, and as he made breakfast, he said, "Trust me".  It turns out he was right; the duo of eggs and Lem'n dill were delicious. (Don't tell him he was right).  Fast forward 27 years and three children later, Lemon Dill and eggs have become a family favorite, so it seemed almost a no-brainer to combine the two into breakfast sandwiches, with sausage or ham and cheese.  Would that push our children beyond their culinary comfort level?

Nope!  They were a hit.  Our children loved the homemade version better than the grocery store's freezer version, and that thrilled me because they were eating ingredients we could control, and we saved money by making them in mass.  

So, expand your family's palate, try this winning combination of Lem'n Dill and eggs, and make these delicious breakfast freezer sandwiches today.  You will be pleasantly surprised!  And, with a little planning, you can have these delicious breakfast sandwiches ready for those busy mornings.

Comment below if you have made this delicious breakfast sandwich. Thank you for stopping by. Please return for more tasty recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• English muffins

• Eggs (1 dozen)

• Pork Sausage, sliced into patties

• Cherchies® Lem 'n Dill Seasoning

• Cheese (we used sharp cheddar for this recipe)

• Cooking Spray

Preparation

Separate the English muffins in half and place English muffins on a baking sheet.  Broil (could use a toaster if making a few) for a couple of minutes, until lightly browned.  After muffins are toasted add a tiny bit of butter to each muffin half.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray the muffin tins with cooking spray.  Crack an egg into each muffin tin and sprinkle eggs with Cherchies® Lem 'n Dill Seasoning (you could mix eggs and Lem 'n Dill with a fork to scramble if you'd like).  Bake eggs in oven for 10-12 minutes, or until eggs are cooked (If you're going to eat immediately, rather than freeze, cook eggs according to your preference.  In other words, if you like your eggs a little runny, then cook less).

While eggs are cooking, slice up sausage into patties.  In a large skillet, cook sausage patties until cooked through.  Drain on paper towels.  

Remove the eggs from the oven, and using a spatula, gently remove eggs from muffin tins and place on parchment paper.  If planning to eat immediately, keep the oven on to warm sandwiches at the end.

To assemble the sandwiches, begin with the muffins, then to one half, add the egg and the sausage patty, and to the other half, add the cheese (we used cheddar for these sandwiches). Oh my goodness, my mouth is already salivating! 

Combine the two halves to make a sandwich.  At this point, you could wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for later.  Or...

You could heat it up in the oven for a couple of minutes, or the microwave for 30 seconds (until the cheese is melty), and devour it!  Trust me, you'll be hooked on Lem 'n Dill and eggs too.  Enjoy!

Cooking Tip: How To Create an Easy Cheese Plate

Cooking Tip! How To Create an Easy Cheese Plate

Entertaining should be easy, not difficult.  It's all about quality time with family and friends, not the time spent in the kitchen.  With the busy holiday season on our doorstep, time is of the essence, and a quick and easy go-to appetizer is a necessity. 

Our go-to appetizer is a charcuterie platter, (aka a cheese plate or antipasto platter).  It takes very little effort to create a fabulous charcuterie platter, but the presentation speaks volumes.

Cheese and fruit are a given for cheese platters, and when we are entertaining, we often open up jars of our products (Our award-winning mustards, Hot Pepper Jams, Butter Spreads, Preserves), and pair them with good quality cheeses.  Our guests love to create and share their own concoctions (You'll find out shortly how to create your own).  Plus, it's also a great conversation starter.

There really is no exact recipe for a cheese plate, as it lends to individual creativity, so below we've given our recommendations for the perfect cheese/antipasto platter:  Let's build it together!  Here are the tools needed for a fabulous cheese/antipasto display:

Vehicle (Thank you Martha Stewart)- A pretty cutting board, tray, or platter is the perfect "vehicle" for creating a cheese board.  If you have a large gathering, a piece of furniture works well to "stage" your appetizers.  Check out my in-laws 50th Anniversary party this summer (thank you Charlie from Yellow Springs Inn for your innovation and inspiration).  We re-created a smaller version later for friends on Labor Day. They loved it! 

Pretty Containers

The world is your oyster when it comes to containers:)  Gather up your "pretties" (bowls, martini glasses, crystal, votive holders, tea cups, etc. ) for your display, anything that will hold the loose items such as olives, nuts, crackers, bread sticks, etc.

We used our "pretties" to hold olives, mini toasts, bread sticks, and of course CONDIMENTS!  We used one each of our Mustards, Hot Pepper Jams, Butter Spreads, and Preserves.  

Labeling

Chalkboard anything is all the rage for labeling, and the possibilities are endless.  Here, we used picture frame napkins rings (you could substitute mini picture frames) that we had lying around, and then added black construction paper to the frames to create "faux" chalkboards.

Cheese 

You had me at cheese!  Invest in some good quality cheeses, like aged cheddar, blue, brie, or whatever combinations you decide upon.  Depending on your gathering size (under 10 people), Martha Stewart (thank you again Martha...you rock!) suggests selecting three different cheeses, all of varying textures, with a mild cheese as one of the options.

Fruit and/or Fruit Preserves

There's usually something sweet on a Cheese Plate, such as fruit (fresh or dried grapes, apples, apricots, berries, cranberries, etc.), and we've gone a step further to include fruit AND our Preserves, Hot Pepper Jams, Butter Spreads, and Mustards as an accompaniment to the cheese.   This is where the fun begins! The flavors are amazing!  Stay tuned!

Bread

So technically, you could just pick up a slice of cheese and top it with a piece of fruit and be done.  Or, you could grab a slice of a baguette or a cracker (make sure to get good crackers ...Water Crackers tend to be a favorite...we used mini toast crostinis we found at our local Wegman's), and start creating, combining cheeses with fruit, pepper jams, mustards, preserves, meats, oh my!.  Your taste buds will thank you!

Try these options to start (the possibilities are endless!):

• Cherchies® Blackberry Preserves paired with Blue Cheese

• Cherchies® Hot Pepper Jams paired with a good sharp Cheddar

• Cherchies® Apple Butter Spread and Brie with a slice of apple on top

• Cherchies® Champagne Mustard (or Cranberry Mustard) and cheddar, with a few Champagne grapes on top (cute little grapes, normally found at specialty stores)

Miscellaneous Items

Usually, cheese plates have some sort of meat, such as sausage, salami, etc.  In addition to salami, we decided to amp up our cheese board even more and add Pepperoncini Peppers and olives, but you could also add nuts.

Cheese platters are not only an easy and elegant option for entertaining, but the combinations of ingredients are also infinite.  We love to add our personal touch and pair cheese with fruits, olives, meats, preserves, mustards, pepper jams, etc.  You will find tons of themed charcuterie options on the internet for the creative side of you (see below). We'd love to hear your favorite combinations!

The best part of a charcuterie/cheese platter is that you'll have more time on your hands for what's important...spending quality time with your family and friends!  Happy easy and elegant entertaining this holiday season!