Sweet Love and Ginger

appetizer

Maple Chipotle Squash, Bacon & Onion Quesadillas

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These Maple Chipotle Butternut Squash, Bacon, and Onion Quesadillas are the perfect appetizer for any fall party and are sure to be a big hit!

Maple Chipotle Squash, Onion & Bacon Quesadillas

So you know how sometimes I go on a tirade and tell you guys how much of a genius I am for coming up with something new and delicious? (exhibit A) Well, today is one of those days. Today I may very well have come up with one of the best fall appetizer recipes I have ever tried. You guys, I’ve eaten a lot of things.

It’s got all the calling cards of a great fall treat. It’s hot and oozy. There are bacon and cheese! It’s a little messy. There is dipping sauce. And it can be eaten with your hands! Seriously those are like all of the calling cards am I right?

Maple Chipotle Squash, Onion & Bacon Quesadillas

You all know I love smoked cheddar since I’ve made it into soup, mac & cheese, and a few other things. Well, the same goes for maple and chipotle, so when the idea struck me to slap these two amazing flavors together I was, in fact, a bit scared. Let’s be serious though what could go wrong with this exactly? They maple smoke bacon and cheddar already I’m just doing what I feel is right here in combining these things with even more maple and chipotle.

Seriously, people, it was so right.

Then the maple chipotle barbecue sauce comes into play and it’s just freakin heaven. Now, this sauce is one of my favorites I’ve made it a few times for various events and it’s always well received. I added some shredded Brussels sprouts and chipotle toasted squash seeds (sprinkle with salt, chipotle powder and roast @ 300 for 10 to 15 minutes) to top the barbecue dipped quesadilla triangles because of everyone like a little freshness and some crunch.

Maple Chipotle Squash, Onion & Bacon Quesadillas

Maple Chipotle Squash, Bacon & Onion Quesadillas

  • 2 cups butternut squash cubed
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Pinch of pepper
  • 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 onions (sliced thin)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 4 slices of bacon (cooked & crumbled)
  • 6-8 large tortillas
  • 2 – 3 cups shredded smoked cheddar cheese

Maple Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (minced)
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
  1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. If the sauce is too thick add water by the tablespoon until desired thickness is reached. Set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl combine olive oil, chipotle powder, chili powder, salt and pepper, until well blended. Add the butternut squash and toss to coat. Spread the squash on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 25 to 30, minutes or until fork tender.
  3. While the squash cooks heat the butter and oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring constantly, until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar and continue to cook for about 20 minutes, regularly scraping the brown bits from the pan. The onion should become brown and soft when done.
  4. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Place 1 tortilla in the pan and top with a fourth of the squash, onions, bacon and cheese. Place another tortilla on top. Once the bottom tortilla begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes, carefully flip the quesadilla and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cut into equal sized triangles before serving. Repeat until ingredients are gone.

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Pear & Brie Toasts with Honey Balsamic Drizzle

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A recipe for Pear & Brie Toasts with a simple honey balsamic drizzle. Perfect for a fall or winter pot luck.

Pear & Brie Toasts - Appetizer

As the cooler temperatures start to take their toll a simple bowl of chips and guac is not cutting it anymore as an appetizer amongst our group of friends. We are all craving something warm and comforting, but we also don’t want something super heavy such as meatballs or cheese dip. We just aren’t there yet.

In our house we are still holding out on turning on the heat, and most weekends are still spent outside, albeit on house projects as opposed to camping of hiking as I would like. While we aren’t jumping in pools anymore we are not ready to give up our outdoor time to the impending northeast winter. It’s still fall and we plan on living it up regardless of how cold it might be when we get up in the morning.

Pear & Brie Toasts - Appetizer

That’s what’s nice about these little toasts. The warm crunchy bread is covered in buttery, melty cheese and topped with a single slice of fresh cool pear, and a nice balsamic honey drizzle to add some sweetness. Now that is balance people. You’ve got a little bit of everything there to please everyone as well as give a nice little nod to the season’s flavors. This is an appetizer that would be great to serve throughout fall and winter since pears tend to be in season well into the cool months.

Pear & Brie Toasts - Appetizer

Pear & Brie Toasts with Honey Balsamic Drizzle
Author: JC
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 baguette, sliced at an angle
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 large triangle of brie cheese, rind removed & sliced to fit the toast
  • 3 teaspoons honey
  • 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 large pear, sliced
  • Baby arugula for garnish (opitional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Combine the oil and thyme in a small bowl. Lay the baguette slices on a sheet tray and brush with the oil mixture.
  3. Place in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until the bread begins to turn golden. Add a slice of cheese to each toast and return to the oven for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese just begins to melt. Remove from heat and move to a serving tray.
  4. Meanwhile combine honey, and balsamic vinegar until well blended.
  5. Place a pear slice on each toast and drizzle with honey balsamic mixture, garnish and serve.
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Pre-made Breaded Chicken for the Freezer

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This is a simple and healthy recipe for breaded chicken as well as instructions on how to freezer and re heat it for last minute weekly meals.

Sometimes I just don’t have the time to cook a wholesome dinner from scratch. Other times I simply don’t have the energy, and while take out pizza is always a great alternative we are trying desperately here to save our pennies (for that house!), and get a little healthier (for that wedding!).

 Lately I have been making a lot of extras to freeze, so that I can prepare healthy home cooked dinners in a flash. Things like soup, meatballs, cooked chicken and blanched veggies are easy to defrost and heat up. Today I wanted to share with you a pretty basic recipe for what we call Freezer Chicken. It’s lightly breaded chicken that is baked and then frozen to be used as needed at a later date.
My basic breaded chicken recipe is below. However the key to making this idea of frozen breaded chicken work is first freezing it on a sheet tray without allowing any of the pieces to touch and then putting it in a reseal-able storage container. Freezing the chicken separately helps prevent them from sticking together in the bag. This way it’s easy to pull out just one piece of chicken and heat it up in the oven or microwave before serving.
Italian Style Breaded Freezer Chicken
Author: JC
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • 4 boneless skinless Chicken Breasts
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Combine bread crumbs and spices in a large shallow dish and set aside.
  3. On a cutting board place one hand on top of a single chicken breast. Carefully slice the meat horizontally midway up the chicken, cutting almost to the other side. Open it like a book and finish cutting it through. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the chicken and working from the center out begin to pound the chicken with the smooth side of a mallet until it is about ¼ inch thick. Repeat this process with the remaining chicken.
  4. Brush the chicken with butter and dredge in the bread crumbs until well coated.
  5. Place on a greased baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken and bake for another 10 minutes until cooked through.
  6. To Freeze: Remove from heat and let cool until room temperature. Freeze on a flat sheet tray without touching for about 30 minutes. Remove from tray and place into a large freezer bag and return to the freezer.
Now that you have freezer chicken readily available to you here are some of my favorite ways to use it:
  • Dip them in Honey Mustard, or another favorite dip
  • Chicken Parmesan
  • Chicken Salad 
  • Chicken alfredo
  • BBQ or Buffalo chicken sandwich or wrap
  • Bacon Ranch Sandwich
  • Chicken Caesar Salad
  • Pizza toppings
  • Quick Chicken & Waffles

Got another suggestion? Lets hear it in the comments! I’ve got a ton of these so I’d love to try something new with them.

Smokey 4 Cheese Roasted Red Pepper Dip

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This Smokey 4 Cheese Roasted Red Pepper Dip is a super easy recipe for a quick and cheesy appetizer, with a hint of smokey goodness that is sure to please any crowd. 

Some things are just too amazing to even describe.

This recipe, you guys, is one of them.

I got the original recipe from here, and it was ridiculously simple. I made it a number of times for get-togethers over the last year or two and it was always a big hit.

I’m going to attribute its high marks to the smokey, sweet, and salty thing going on here. The smoked cheese with a little smoked cheese, and smoked paprika combine perfectly. The sweetness comes from the roasted red peppers and all their caramelized sugars. And finally, the combination of cheese brings the earth and salt. You really can’t ask for much more from a humble handful of ingredients.

I opted to go the smokey route because I had quite a bit of leftover smoked gouda hanging around. You remember this recipe right? Yeah it was good, I know. I’ve made it a lot recently so I bought smoked gouda in bulk (foodie problems right?) Anyway, I had an event to go to and I couldn’t help but think how good the smoked gouda would be in this dip, with the smoky red peppers and ooooo what if I add a bit more smoked paprika as well?

Sometimes my own genius surprises me. It was AH-mazing. And it wasn’t just me who thought that either.

Smoky, gooey, and cheesy with just a hint of sweetness. I mean what more do you need in a dip here people?

Smokey 4 Cheese Roasted Red Pepper Dip

  • 2 whole roasted red peppers (diced)
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 cup smoked gruyere cheese (shredded)
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine all ingredients in an oven safe pan and mix until well blended.
  3. Place in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the top has browned and begun to bubble.
  4. Serve immediately with crackers.

Similar Recipes:

Venison Poutine
Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese
French Onion Baked Gnocchi

Irish Rarebit

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Irish rarebit is something I’ve only ever had once or twice, but I thought would be fun to post with St. Partick’s Day coming up. Rarebit is typically associated with Wales, a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Wales lies near Ireland across a small channel, so over the centuries many dishes have been swapped and traded between the two counties.

The basic concept of this dish is a savory sauce poured over toasted bread and served hot, often with other ingredients. Its very similar to an open faced American grilled cheese, except that you may want to use a fork.

What I liked about this recipe was quite obviously the cheese, because cheese is amazing. Especially Irish Cheese. I  can attest that they have some of the best dairy in the world (in my opinion). The pickles were a little weird at first I have to admit, but after a few bites I can see how they balance out the strong cheddar flavor with a bit of brininess.

I think that this is the perfect companion to most soups, but especially Irish Vegetable Soup. The combination is (for me) reminiscent of the tomato soup and grilled cheese, that we Americans grew up with.






Irish Rarebit (Serves 2)
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon salted butter
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste
2 slices soda bread (or whole wheat)
1 tablespoon chopped dill pickles


Preheat the oven to broil. Combine the cheese, butter, and milk in a thick bottomed saucepan and heat gently, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in the vinegar, and mustard. Season to taste and remove from heat. Toast the bread on one side and place the it on a backing sheet toasted side down. Pour the sauce over the bread and cook in the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. The top should be golden and bubbly. Remove from heat, sprinkle with dill pickles and serve immediately.