Erin French's Pecorino Puffs

Life, at least for me, has been ALL ABOUT THE CHEESE lately! I have been craving cheese every.single.day!

And bread. Sometimes I just want cheese and bread.

So, when I saw these Pecorino Puffs in Erin French's Big Heart Little Stove cookbook I had to make them!

So quick. So easy. You simply bring the butter, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg o a boil, then add the flour and stir for about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a food processor, or just a mixing bowl, and stir in the eggs one at a time. Add the cheese and you're all set!

Easy peasy. I used a cookie scoop to measure them out and scooped the batter onto the parchment paper. The recipe was perfect and they baked up warm and cheesy in 12 minutes!

We loved them. They are light, airy, cheesy, fluffy and such a good snack with pepperoni and/or salami. I will be making them again! 

Pecorino Puffs

Adapted from Big Heart Little Stove

by Erin French

Makes 24

1 cup whole milk

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

a few grates of fresh nutmeg

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

1/2 cup grated Pecorino cheese

Note: I cannot usually be bothered to bring out big kitchen appliances like blenders and food processors, so I skipped that part of the recipe. I simply put my batter into a bowl and stirred the eggs in one at a time, followed by the cheese and it was perfectly fine!

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, butter, salt, a few grinds of pepper, and the nutmeg and bring to a slow boil over medium heat. Give the pan a stir and continue stirring as you add the flour. Stir vigorously for about 20 seconds, until the dough comes together. Increase the heat to high and stir just long enough to cook off the raw flour, about another 10 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat.

Transfer the dough to the bowl of a food processor. With the processor running, add the eggs one at a time, waiting until each egg is ewll incorporated before adding the next. Add the cheese and pulse until combined.

Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip. Pipe dollops of the batter about 1 inch tall and 1 inch wide onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

Bake until puffed and golden about 12 minutes. Serve immediately. 

Appetizers You Crave @ I Heart Cooking Clubs
 

 

How Sweet Eat's Cheeseburger Soup

 It is officially soup season when the nights get cold and dark and we turn the clocks back!

I made Cheeseburger Soup for the first time years ago and I remember it being a big hit! When I saw How Sweet Eat's share her family's favorite version, I knew I had to give it a try.

You start with browned ground beef, then add all the classic soup veggies like onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. You cook the cubed potatoes in broth with the veggies and meat, until tender and then you add in the roux, milk, and cheese.

In the soup world, I feel like there are two kinds of people: those who like thick soups and those who like brothy soups. This version is differently on the brothy side. We are not brothy soup lovers, but we did enjoy this with some pretzel garlic bread. It was cheesy and comforting and we loved dipping the bread in the soup.

Cheeseburger Soup

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

by Jessica Merchant

Serves 4-6

1 pound ground beef

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

1 cup freshly grated carrots

1 cup diced celery

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pound petite gold potatoes, quartered

4 to 5 cups chicken stock*

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

16 ounces freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

freshly chopped parsley or chives, for serving

*Note: If you are a brothy soup person, go ahead and use the 4 cups of chicken broth in this recipe. If you're into thicker soups, maybe start with 3 cups of broth and add more if you feel like it needs it.

Season the ground beef all over with salt and pepper. Heat a large stock pot over medium heat and add beef. Brown the beef, using a meat chopped or wooden spoon to break it into small crumbles.

Once browned, remove the beef with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a plate.

Add the olive oil to the same skillet. Add in the onions, carrots, celery and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Add the oregano. Stir. Cook, stirring often, until the veggies soften, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Add in the potatoes and 4 cups of chicken stock. Return the beef to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat the butter in a separate skillet. Once melted, whisk in the flour to create a roux. Whisk and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the color is golden and the mixture is fragrant.

Use a spatula to scrape the roux right into the soup pot. Bring the mixture back to a boil. Boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the milk and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheese. Stir until it is all melted. At this point, you can add in the additional cup of chicken stock or not. Sometimes I like to add it before I pack the soup up for the fridge since it thickens more as it sits. Taste and season the soup with more salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in the sour cream. Once melted, serve! Top with fresh chives or parsley to serve. 

 October Potluck @ I Heart Cooking Clubs!