Cherchies Blog

Chipotle Beef 'n Mac Recipe

entreesSheri SpalloneComment

Chipotle Beef 'n Mac Recipe

Move over Beefaroni, there's a new kid in town, Chipotle Beef 'n Mac, Beefaroni's spicy cousin! This recipe is the grown up version of a childhood favorite.

Want to know a secret?  I was a terrible cook when I first got married.  I could bake, but dinner was a challenge:)  Funny to think that the only thing I could cook well when I first got married was Beefaroni by Hamburger Helper (shameful, I know).  I think it was called Cheeseburger Macaroni.   

Thank goodness my hubby was patient and did most of the cooking (must have been the honeymoon phase).  Boy, times have changed!  

Things sure have changed.  I now challenge my family constantly with my culinary creations, and decided to give them a break this time and made something I knew they loved, homemade Beefaroni, except with a twist, a spicy version (I didn't let them off that easy).  

Ingredients

Preparation

Cook macaroni and set aside.  In a large pot, season the ground beef with salt, pepper, Cherchies® Garlic 'n Herbs Seasoning Blend, Minor's Beef Base and begin to brown.  Add the onions and continue to brown the beef and cook onions until onions are translucent.  Mix in the tomato soup and water and simmer for 3-4 minutes.  

Add the Spicy Chipotle Garnishing Sauce a few tablespoons at a time until you have reached your desired level of spiciness.  Add the cheddar cheese and stir.  Finally, add the cooked macaroni pasta and into the meat mixture, mix together well and cook for 2 – 3 minutes.  

Serve with a side salad, Cherchies® Parmesan Pepper Knots, and Homemade Applesauce for a complete and delicious meal.  Enjoy!

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Salmon Niçoise With Champagne Herb Vinaigrette Recipe

salads, lunch, entreesSheri SpalloneComment
Salmon Niçoise Salad Recipe With Champagne Herb Vinaigrette Dressing

Salmon Niçoise Salad Recipe With Champagne Herb Vinaigrette Dressing

Cooking Time: About 30 minutes  

Difficulty:  Easy

Serves: 2

If you are looking for a delightfully tasty salad to add to your recipe collection, try this Niçoise salad or "Salade Niçoise" (pronounced "nee-swaz", from Nice, France). It is a French "composed" salad with skillfully arranged ingredients on a plate. It is a classic salad that appeals to most because it's typically composed of tomatoes, olives, anchovies, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, green beans, and a protein, such as fresh tuna.  

Our take on this classic salad uses salmon, leftover asparagus, eggs, olives, canned artichokes, red onion for color, etc. (pretty much whatever we had on hand at the time).

The salmon was cooked the day before with lemon, a dash of pepper, Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning, and flaked with a fork. We also boiled the potato and egg the day before, so assembly the next day was easy peasy.

The Pièce De Résistance of this salad is The Champagne Tarragon Vinaigrette, featuring Cherchies® Champagne Mustard, which married this divine salad's flavors together. 

Not only is this refreshing salad a must-have addition to your recipe repertoire, but It's also a fabulous brunch, lunch, or dinner option. You have to try it! It is so yummy.

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have tried 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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Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • Approximately 1 cup of a combination of Romaine and Bibb Lettuce (you can tear or arrange as a base)

  • Cooked salmon

  • 1 potato, baked and sliced

  • 1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and sliced in half

  • 1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and sliced

  • Asparagus (or could use green beans), boiled for 3 minutes

  • 1/2 cup olives (black and green)

  • 1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly

  • 1 green onion (green part only), chopped

  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Champagne Tarragon Vinaigrette  (increase amounts according to guest totals)

Preparation

Tear the lettuce into pieces and place on a plate (Here we kept the leaves in tact for a pretty presentation).  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Slice the artichokes, the egg (you could easily use a knife.  I used an egg slicer)...

The onion, the potato, and the green onion.

Now, it's time to artfully assemble this delicious salad.   This isn't necessary but it makes for a pretty presentation, especially if serving to guests.  Arrange the sliced egg, the potato, olives, the cooked asparagus...

The onion, the cooked salmon, and sprinkle the salad with chopped green onions on top, because it's pretty:)

Mix the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl, and drizzle over salad when you're ready to serve.  Wait for it...

Volia!  Salmon Niçoise Salad with Champagne Tarragon Vinaigrette!  Bon Appétit.

Salmon Nicoise With Champagne Herb Vinaigrette Recipe

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Chicken Tortilla Casserole Recipe

entreesSheri SpalloneComment
Chicken Tortilla Casserole Recipe

Chicken Tortilla Casserole Recipe

Cook Time:  40 minutes (if using cooked chicken)
Difficulty:  Easy

I'm always in search of new easy chicken recipes, and this unique mexican dish is perfect for those busy nights.  The green chilies and Lem 'n Pepper Spicy Blend Seasoning add a nice tang to this dish.

Add a dollop of our Chardonnay Guacamole and serve with a salad and our Savory Wedge Bread, and you have an easy peasy meal.

Your family and guests will ask for seconds!

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, sliced

  • 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) olive oil

  • 1 can (4oz.) green chilies

  • 2 cups tomato juice

  • 2 teaspoons (tsp) Cherchies® Lem 'n Pepper Spicy Blend Seasoning or Cherchies® Salsa Seasoning

  • 2 cups Velveeta cheese

  • 1 can (12 oz.) Evaporated Milk

  • 2 1/2 lbs. chicken, cooked and cut into pieces (could purchase a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken at your local grocery store)

  • 6 oz. tortilla chips, broken into small pieces

  • 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

Preparation
Saute onion in olive oil until tender.  Add green chilies and blend well.  Add tomato juice and Cherchies® Lem 'n Pepper Spicy Blend Seasoning and heat through.  Melt Velveeta cheese in evaporated milk in a saucepan over low heat (I cheated here and used my microwave).  

Add chicken pieces.  Combine the chicken-vegetable mixture with the cheese mixture.

In a large casserole dish, alternate layers of tortilla chips with the chicken mixture, and Sprinkle grated cheese on top of the casserole.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling.


Serve with Savory Wedge Bread and Strawberry Spinach Salad for a complete meal.  Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Casserole Recipe

Chicken Tortilla Casserole Recipe

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Cooking Tip: How To Make Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

glaze marinade & sauce, cooking tipsSheri Spallone2 Comments
Cooking Tip: How To Make Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe

Cooking Tip: How To Make Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe

Cook Time:  20 minutes  

Difficulty:  Easy

I have a tough time using something out of a can, especially when I can make it from scratch and control the ingredients.   Take for example Cream of Mushroom soup, a constant in most casseroles.

With two family members sensitive to gluten and certain ingredients in canned soups, I was on a quest to make this homemade version.

This homemade version of the store bought canned cream of mushroom soup is delicious and so very easy.  You may never go back to the store bought version again.  It's that good!  (Sorry Campbell's). 

This recipe is equivalent to 2 cans of store bought cream of mushroom soup and will last in the refrigerator for a week.  This recipe would also be good for "Cream of Anything Soup" (asparagus, chicken...).  That will be a future blog.

Ingredients

  • 1 package of baby bella mushrooms, rinsed and coarsely chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) butter
  • 1 shallot, finely minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) Thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) butter
  • 2 Tablespoon (Tbsp) flour (we tested this recipe with Bob's Mill GF All-Purpose Baking mix)
  • 1/4 cup Sherry (optional) 
  • 1/4 teaspoon Truffle Oil (optional)
  • 3/4 cup homemade chicken broth (If don't use Sherry, increase chicken broth to 1 cup)
  • 1/2 cup half & half (can substitute light whipping cream)

Preparation

Turn skillet on medium and melt 2 Tablespoons of butter.   Place chopped mushrooms in pan and cook mushrooms for about 5 minutes.  Add minced shallots and cook until shallots are translucent (about another 5 minutes).  Remove mushrooms and shallots from pan and place in a bowl or on a plate.  Set aside.

Add 1 Tablespoon butter and flour to pan and stir for a couple of minutes.  Add Sherry and chicken stock (I always have homemade chicken stock in the freezer) and stir.  Mixture will begin to thicken.  Add Garlic Seasoning, pepper, Thyme, and stir.  *At this point I added Truffle oil ...well, because I had it on hand, but this is completely optional.  I just love the extra richness it adds to any mushroom dish.

Add mushroom and shallot mixture back to pan as well as half and half and continue to cook on low, stirring occasionally, until soup is thick and creamy (about 10 minutes).  

Cool completely and place in a large mason jar if not using immediately.  There you have it, homemade cream of mushroom soup!  Enjoy!

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