Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts Recipe

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts Recipe

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Difficulty:  Easy

Yield: about 5 dozen.

You had me at bacon!  Practically anything wrapped in bacon is delightful, and these little gems are no exception.  This appetizer is the complete package; it has crunch from the water chestnuts, saltiness from the bacon and sweetness from the Cranberry Mustard.  Delicious and easy!

Another fantastic sweet/salty option is to serve these wrapped water chestnuts with our  Cherchies® Cherry Butter Spread and Cherchies® Strawberry Butter Spread.

You may want to grab some for yourself before you serve your guests because they will disappear off the tray.

Ingredients

• 2 (8 oz.) cans whole water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
• 1 pound of bacon
• Cherchies® Cranberry Mustard (Could substitute Cherchies® Champagne Mustard or Cherchies® Hot Banana Pepper Mustard)

Preparation

Cut bacon strips into thirds and wrap bacon around each water chestnut, ensuring seam is at the bottom. Place bacon chestnut bundles in an ungreased baking pan. Brush each bacon bundle with Cherchies® Cranberry Mustard.

Bake the bundles at 375° for 25 minutes or until bacon is crisp.  

Remove the bacon-wrapped bundles from pan and drain on paper towels.  Spear the wrapped water chestnuts with toothpicks and serve these tasty morsels with our Cherchies® Cranberry Mustard.  

Enjoy!

16 Ways To Enjoy Apple Butter (plus a surprise)

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16 Ways to Enjoy Apple Butter

If you haven't tried apple butter, you're missing out.  Quite the underappreciated condiment, apple butter is simply cooked down applesauce and can be used in a variety of uses in the kitchen, including baking, cooking, and even grilling.

The term "butter" refers to the butter-like consistency of the spread, a result of the evaporation of liquid during the cooking process, (there is actually no butter in the recipe), and can refer to many types of fruit "butters".

We are thrilled to introduce our newest butter spreads, Cherchies® Cherry Butter and Cherchies® Strawberry Butter (stay tuned for the surprise), and they can be substituted for apple butter in any recipe.  

So how many ways can you use apple butter? Below are 16 of our favorite ways to use apple, cherry, and strawberry butter.  We'd love to hear your favorite uses.

16 Ways to Enjoy Apple Butter Spread

• Use in recipes in lieu of sugar in an apple crisp.
• Mix 1 part apple butter to 1 part maple syrup for French toast and pancakes.
• Mix it into roasted or baked sweet potatoes.
• Use Apple Butter and pecans as crepe filling.
• Spread it on toast or English muffins instead of jelly.
• Add to oatmeal (See our Apple Butter Oatmeal Recipe)
• Mix with cream cheese and spread on bagels.
• As a side dish with any pork dish.
• Heated and placed on top of ice cream (Apple Butter a La Mode Recipe)
• Mix with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to make a vinaigrette.
• Mix with wine and Cherchies® Champagne Mustard for a delicious glaze on pork or chicken.
• Spread on melted baked brie fresh from the oven. Serve with Cherchies® Champagne Mustard.
• Mix it with plain yogurt or cottage cheese like the Pennsylvania Dutch prefer.
• Great with turkey or chicken sandwiches. Mayonnaise on one side, apple butter on the other (Check out our Apple Butter and Egg Croissant Sandwich)
• Spread on graham crackers.
• Spread on a melted cheese sandwich.
• Add several tablespoons to a can of baked beans (hot sauce optional).

Now for the surprise...our new arrivals, Cherchies® Cherry Butter Spread and Cherchies® Strawberry Butter Spread will be on sale this coming Wednesday, December 16th, 2015.  Sign up for our newsletter at www.cherchies.com, (scroll down to the bottom and enter your email address) to take advantage of our weekly sales.

Savory Champagne Meatloaf Recipe

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Savory Champagne Meatloaf Recipe

Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Meatloaf has gotten a bad rap, and I'm not sure why.  Perhaps it's the word "loaf" in the title that makes people shudder, but coincidently, burgers have the same ingredients as meatloaf and just the mention of burgers makes many salivate, meatloaf...not so much. Folks...you've got it wrong!  Meatloaf is amazing.  You can put it in the oven and walk away for an hour, and dinner is done!  

Our family loves meatloaf, and they often help themselves to seconds, so we usually make a double batch.

"Meatloaf" is comfort in a pan, and the flavors usually associated with meatloaf are just like burgers!  

This recipe, adapted from the lovely folks at Southern Living (an old cookbook) is one of the most flavorful and moist meatloaf recipes I have ever come across.  The Champagne Mustard adds a delightful tang to the meatloaf, and the addition of Vidalia Onion Peach Salsa, Ketchup, and Worcestershire Sauce to the topping, complete this dish.  Serve this with dish with our Savory Wedge Bread, vegetables, and Herbed Mashed Potatoes, and you'll have a complete meal.

So, give meatloaf a chance.  It's comfort, it's easy, it's elegant, and best of all, it's delicious!  Burgers beware!  

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef (You could substitute Ground turkey. We used lean beef and pork and doubled the recipe)

• 3/4 cup uncooked regular oats

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Pepper Pizzazz

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup milk

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) finely chopped onion

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 cup Cherchies® Vidalia Onion Peach Salsa

• 1/2 cup Ketchup

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Preparation

Combine the first ten ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix until all ingredients are combined.

Press the meat mixture into a bread loaf pan (s) (we have a family of five, and we usually double this recipe. It's amazing how much young adults can eat!).  My goodness!

Mix the remaining four ingredients in a medium bowl and spread 3/4 mixture over meat.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  Add remaining apricot-ketchup mixture to the meatloaf and return to over for about another 30 minutes, or until center is no longer pink.  Drain and let meatloaf rest for about 10 minutes.

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Sweet and savory Champagne Meatloaf.  Enjoy!

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!