Cherchies Blog

Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potato Recipe

entrees, leftovers, lunch, side dishesSheri SpalloneComment

Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potato Recipe

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Difficulty:  Easy

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My favorite part about Thanksgiving and the holidays is spending precious moments with family and friends, but my second favorite?  The leftovers!

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Leftovers are kind of my thing!  For years, I have prided myself on transforming last night's dinner into tonight's masterpiece, a skill that most likely developed from having picky eaters at the dinner table and not wanting to waste food.

For this recipe, I used leftover Thanksgiving turkey and sweet potatoes, our NEW Cherchies® Black Bean & Corn Salsa, cheese, a sprinkle of this and a dollop of that and voila, a fabulous stuffed sweet potato emerged, bursting with sweet and tangy Southwestern goodness. 

This recipe is the "bomb" (Sorry, dating myself), it's healthy, it's full of flavor, it's the perfect quick and easy meal, and It's a recipe you need to add to your favorites now!  Serve these potatoes with our Homemade Applesauce and a salad for a complete meal!  

What's your favorite use of Thanksgiving leftovers?  We would love to hear from you!

Ingredients  

Preparation  

Chop the cooked turkey or chicken and set aside.  Rinse, wash, and pat dry the sweet potatoes.  Keeping the skin on, prick each potato several times with a fork.  Wrap each potato in a paper towel and Microwave until potatoes are soft to the touch.  You may certainly bake the potatoes in a 350 degree oven until the potatoes are soft to the touch (usually about a half hour), but I cheated and used the microwave:)

Once the potatoes are soft, it's time to assemble.   With a sharp knife, cut a slit into each potato and gently pry open.  Use a fork to loosen some of the sweet potato.   Sprinkle each potato with about 1/4 teaspoon (tsp) of Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning Blend.

Turn the oven onto Broil.   Place 1/2 cup of the turkey or chicken in each potato and mix slightly.  Next add 1/4 cup of Cherchies® Black Bean & Corn Salsa to the potato, then sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese over the potato.  Sprinkle an additional Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning Blend over each potato.  

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and broil on high until the cheese has melted (about 10 minutes).   And here you go, easy, cheesy, healthy, robust, Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potatoes!  Enjoy!

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Fig and Herbed Brie Cups Recipe

appetizers, snacksSheri Spallone2 Comments
Fig and Herbed Brie Cups Recipe

Fig and Herbed Brie Cups Recipe

These savory fig cuties hit all the flavor notes in one tasty bite and are a breeze to make for any occasion.

The intense flavors of the savory garlic, tangy brie cheese, and sweet figs, make this a recipe one to cherish.  This recipe is perfect for those last minute holiday celebrations.  For a sweeter version of this recipe, check out our Hot Pepper Jam and Brie Cups Recipe.  Or, live on the edge and bring both;)

Ingredients

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Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Remove rind from brie and cut into chunks (about 1 teaspoon).  This is an old picture.  Obviously I did not remove the rind.  Some prefer the rind left in tact, while others do not. Your choice.

Place phyllo cups on a baking tray and add a Brie chunk to each cup.  Sprinkle each of the cups with a small amount of Cherchies® Garlic & Herb No-Salt Seasoning Blend.  Add about 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) Fig Preserves.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes, or until brie just begins to melt.  

Remove from oven and serve warm or room temperature.  Garnish with a little thyme and help yourself!

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Fig Prosciutto Goat Cheese Crostini Recipe

lunch, snacks, appetizersSheri Spallone2 Comments
fig prosciutto long.jpg

Cook Time:  10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Figs, take two!  It is fig season and my obsession continues.  This quick and easy mouth-watering recipe hits all the flavor notes, it comes together in minutes, and is perfect for any occasion.

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Figs, yes, please! It is fig season, and this quick and easy mouth-watering recipe hits all the flavor notes; it comes together in minutes and is perfect for any occasion.

Thank you to my friends Nancy, who gave me this fabulous recipe idea, and Colleen, who gave me additional cheese pairing ideas! When I mentioned our new Fig Preserves, both responded, "Oh, I love figs!". Nancy shared a recipe she recently had for lunch, which included figs, goat cheese, and prosciutto over toasted crostini. I added a rosemary balsamic reduction to the mix, and OMG, talk about a party flavor in your mouth! 

This recipe would be perfect as a light lunch, afternoon snack, or an elegant party appetizer, assembled as pictured or artfully arranged on a cheese plate with meats, cheeses, mustards, fruits, etc. See "How To Create Create a Cheese Plate." The sweetness of the Fig Preserves, the tang of the goat cheese, the saltiness of the prosciutto, and the flavor burst from the balsamic reduction will send your taste buds into overload. This recipe is easy and elegant and a must for your recipe collection!  

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have used any of these hacks or if you have some to add. 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 (per crostini)

  • Italian bread or baguette, sliced diagonally 

  • 1 large log of goat cheese (could substitute Blue Cheese for a more intense flavor.  Thank you, Colleen)

  • Cherchies® Fig Preserves

  • Slices of prosciutto (1/2 lb., depending on how many making)

  • 1 small clove of garlic, peeled

  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon (tsp) fresh Rosemary, finely chopped

Preparation  
In a small saucepan, simmer the balsamic vinegar and rosemary on low until they reduce to a syrup consistency (about 10 minutes). Set aside to cool briefly. Pour the reduction through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl to remove the rosemary pieces.

Toast the bread.  Since I was making this for myself as a snack, I toasted two slices of bread in a toaster.  If this recipe is to be shared with a crowd, then place the bread slices on a tray and cook in a 350 degree oven until bread is lightly toasted.  Once the bread is lightly toasted, remove from the oven or toaster and gently rub the top of each slice with the clove of garlic.

Now it is time to assemble these delicious gourmet treats.  For a crowd, consider assembling right before your guests arrive.  Depending on the size of the toast, spread the toasts each with about 1 teaspoon (tsp) of goat cheese, then about 1 teaspoon (tsp) of Fig Preserves, and then loosely place one or two slices of prosciutto on top.  There's no need to measure.  

Right before serving, drizzle the crostini with the balsamic reduction or leave on a tray for guests to help themselves.  Easy peazy and absolutely tasty!  Enjoy!

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Fig Bars Recipe

desserts, breakfast, snacksSheri SpalloneComment

Fig Bars Recipe

Cook Time:  45 Minutes
Difficulty:  Easy

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Updated November 2024.

Life is short; eat figs!

Isn't it funny how our tastes can change over the years? Thankfully, mine did, and so did my children's. Otherwise, we would have missed out on the joy of figs, and life would not be as good!

I never thought my once-picky children would enjoy figs, but they love them, especially our newest preserve: Cherchies® Fig Preserves with Cinnamon. They also love taste-testing all the recipes on the blog.

These decadent fig bars are a fig lover's dream—sweet, buttery, and full of "figgy" goodness, bursting with cinnamon and a hint of coconut. This mouth-watering recipe is easy to make and perfect for any occasion, whether as a dessert, snack, or breakfast treat. Just a tip—hide some away in a cabinet, pantry, or bedroom (just kidding!) because these tasty morsels will be devoured before your eyes, leaving you without any fig bars, and life will not be as good.

So, all you fig lovers out there, add this easy fig recipe to your recipe cache and tantalize your friends and family's tastebuds. You won't be disappointed.

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

Follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

*Note- If you do not like figs, this recipe works well with Cherchies® other preserves or Cherchies® Butter Spreads.

Ingredients  
1 1/2 sticks of butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (for a gluten-free option, substitute Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour)
1 10 oz. jar Cherchies® NEW Fig Preserves with Cinnamon (Feel free to substitute any of our preserves in this recipe, our Blackberry Preserves, Cranberry Preserves with Champagne, or Cherchies® Butter Spreads.

Topping Ingredients  
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup flour (for a gluten-free option, substitute Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour)
1 teaspoon (tsp) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon (tsp) salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 stick of melted butter
Extra coconut for garnishing (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until fluffy using an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs and gradually add the flour to the butter mixture.  Spread the mixture into a 13 x 9 pan and press down evenly.  Bake for 20 minutes.  

While the crust is cooking, prepare the topping.  In a small bowl (or you can use the same bowl you used to make the bar crust...why dirty more dishes), combine all the ingredients for the topping until crumbly and set aside.

When crust is finished cooking, remove from oven and cool slightly.  Spread Cherchies® Fig Preserves with Cinnamon evenly over the crust.  Sprinkle the topping ingredients over the preserves and return the fig bars to the oven and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until bars are lightly browned.

Sprinkle with more coconut to garnish the bars, but this is completely optional.  It makes it look pretty:) Voila! The perfect easy dessert, snack, or breakfast treat.  Enjoy!

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