Little's Lunches

 I usually try to post lunch ideas on Monday morning, but after the insanely full weekend we had, today was the best I could do! I hope these suggestions give you some new ideas for your lunchboxes to get through these last few weeks of school!

 Monday: Ham and Cheese Quesadilla on a spinach tortilla, three cheese ranch, carrots and celery, raisins

 Tuesday: Ham and Cheese pinwheels on a spinach tortilla, Everything Bagel Salad Dressing, cucumbers and radishes, baby tomatoes, kiwi

 Wednesday: ham, Parmesan Cheese Star Crackers, three cheese ranch, potato salad, cucumbers and baby tomatoes, kiwi

 Thursday: ham salad wrap, yellow and orange bell peppers, three cheese ranch, potato salad, strawberries

Friday: strawberries, hard  boiled egg, pita bread, ham salad, ranch dressing, yellow and orange bell peppers

Crock Pot Caramelized Fennel and Onion Dip

Debating on what delicious appetizer to make for Mother's Day?

May I suggest my ultra easy and completely decadent Crock Pot Caramelized Fennel and Onion Dip?

It's so creamy, really rich and disappears quickly. Perfect with thick kettle chips, baguette slices or veggies and you can totally make it ahead if you need to!

 I love my crock pot. I actually have three of them if you want to get technical about it, and I use them all year round. They are an easy (and most of the time) fool proof way to get a delicious meal almost completely hands free while you're busy with other things. I started making caramelized onions in my crock pot years ago when I had a huge costco size bag of  onions to use up and no time to stand over the stove for 45 minutes stirring them. The house smelled absolutely amazing and I did little to no work to get there.

Now, by all means, if you want to take the time to stand at the stove and cook these on low heat for about 30-45 minutes, you absolutely can and forgo the crock pot portion of the recipe. It'll come out just as delicious either way!

Crock Pot Caramelized Fennel and Onion Dip

4 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 cups thinly sliced fennel

4 cups thinly sliced onion

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

3 ounces room temperature cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

Place the butter, olive oil, fennel, onion, salt, pepper and sugar in a crock pot and set on low heat for 8-10 hours. 

Once the onion and fennel are caramelized, pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and allow to cool. 

Once cooled, add the cream cheese and sour cream.

Serve immediately or chill and serve with kettle cooked chips, cut up veggies or baguette slices.

Little's Lunches

 Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great Easter weekend!
Ours was full of BBQ, crawfish and Easter candy!

Monday: raisins, cheddar cheese, pineapple, baby tomatoes, 3 Bean Salad, Yogurt Berry Star Crackers

Tuesday: Parmesan Cheese Star Crackers, Cheddar cheese, tomatoes and cucumbers, Everything Bagel Salad Dressing, pineapple, little smokies

Wednesday: Parmesan Cheese Star Crackers, little smokies, BBQ Sauce, Babybel Gouda cheese, tomatoes and cucumber salad, layered fruit bar

Thursday: dried apple slices, celery sticks, Everything Bagel Salad Dressing, chex mix, little smokies, Babybel Gouda cheese

Friday: baked ham, Parmesan Cheese Star Crackers, potato salad, deviled egg, strawberries

Beyond the Burger and Fries

Happy Friday!! I woke up to some pretty awesome news- my Blackened Cajun Shrimp Burgers with Remoulade Sauce and Crispy Okra Fries WON the Hellmann's Beyond the Burgers and Fries contest and $750!!! I am so thrilled that the judges liked my dish and chose it among all of the other entries. Usually I don't get to hear judges feedback but along with the announcement they included this:

"The judging for this one was tough. The quality of entries was higher than we have seen before. 

The judges loved the tangy and sweet combination of the tartar and ketchup in the remoulade creating a sauce for multiple uses. The cajun inspired dish was unexpected and simple to make using real, natural ingredients."

How cool is that?!

 The competition in this contest was fierce and really challenged me to bring my best ideas to the table. Here re all of the entries that I submitted:

Blackened Cajun Shrimp Burgers with Remoulade Sauce and Crispy Okra Fries

Stuffed Artichoke Muffuletta Burgers with Fried Green Tomato Fries

Cheeseburger Waffle Fry Mini Frittatas

Cheeseburger and Tots Benedict Stackers

Cheeseburger 7 Layer Dip with Wedge Fry Dippers

3 Cheese Bacon, Eggs and Grits Breakfast Pizza

3 Cheese Bacon, Eggs and Grits Breakfast Pizza

This might be the perfect thing for: 

Easter morning, your next lazy morning brunch, Mother's Day, Breakfast for Dinner night

It literally checks all of the boxes AND gets bonus points for being gluten free!

I wasn't totally sure how the grits crust would come out the first time I tried it but I'm so excited to say that it was a home-run on the first try! Once it cools off a little you can literally pick a slice up like a traditional piece of pizza! With a hint of garlic and pepper jack cheese, and the way it gets browned and crisp all around the edges, it's already delicious before you top it with anything.

3 Cheese Bacon, Eggs and Grits Breakfast Pizza

4 slices bacon

1 Tablespoon butter

2 cups whole milk

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ cup yellow stone ground grits

2 ounces grated pepper jack cheese

1 Tablespoon butter

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 Tablespoons whole milk

½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning

1 cup shredded cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese blend

1/8 cup sliced green onion

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Cut bacon into ¼ inch strips and place in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Cook until crisp, about 10-12 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and reserve the bacon grease into a small measuring cup. 

Place 1 Tablespoon of the grease, the butter, milk, salt and garlic powder into the pan and raise the heat to medium high. Allow the mixture to come up to a simmer and then slowly whisk in the grits. Cook for 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and add the pepper jack cheese. 

Brush a large pizza stone or cookie sheet with 2 teaspoons of the reserved bacon grease. Once the cheese has melted and the grits has slightly cooled, whisk in the egg. Pour the mixture onto the prepared stone and using an offset spatula, spread the grits out into a 12-inch round. 

Bake for 25 minutes.

In a small non-stick skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Whisk the eggs, milk and seasoning in a small bowl. Pour the eggs into the melted butter and cook while constantly stirring, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the eggs look like they’re coming together. 

Once the crust is ready sprinkle it evenly with the scrambled eggs, cheese and bacon crumbles. Return the pizza to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. 

Remove from the oven, sprinkle with green onion and serve.

Are you following me on Instagram yet? I'd love it if you did. Hop on over there to see more updates on Beignet and Roux and to get updates on the newest blog posts!

Look at those crusty crispy edges! It was really hard for me not to pick them all off to snack on!

Little's Lunches

 Happy Monday!

We had fabulous weather this weekend and spent most of yesterday hanging out in the backyard smoking a ton of meat to practice for a BBQ cook off we have coming up soon. Beignet loved being held and spoiled, the ribs came out fantastic and I got my first sunburn of the year!

I've had a ton of questions about the lunchboxes I use. They are called Yumbox and if you go to their website and sign up for their email list they send you a 20% off code! I love them because they're leak proof and I don't have to deal with 5 smaller containers getting lost or trying to fit it all in a lunchbag. It's all in one and easy to pack!!

Are you following me on Instagram yet? I'd love it if you did. Hop on over there to see more updates on Beignet and Roux and to get updates on the newest blog posts!

 Monday: carrot sticks, nectarine, potato salad, jalapeno cilantro ranch dip, deli sliced turkey, celery and red bell pepper slices

 Tuesday: Turkey and cream cheese in a spinach tortilla, baby tomatoes, black olives, nectarines

 Wednesday: deli turkey slices, purple cabbage slaw, cucumber sticks, Everything Bagel Salad Dressing, Trader Joe's mini cheese sandwich crackers, baby tomatoes and black olives

Thursday: deli turkey slices, cheddar cheese and mayo on an english muffin, Everything Bagel Salad Dressing, cucumber slices, baby tomatoes, orange segments

Friday: Shrimp and Veggie Spring Rolls, fruit chew bar, sweet and sour sauce, cheese cubes, 3 Bean Salad

The rolls above are not homemade (gasp!!) my kids LOVE the sushi counter at our local grocery store. They have numerous types of spring rolls to choose from and my kids think it's such a treat to have them! Bonus points for being gluten free since they're made with rice paper and they're loaded with veggies!

Everything Bagel Salad Dressing

Happy Spring y'all! The temperature is finally over 40 degrees, the flowers are blooming and I've had my first crawfish of the season- I'm a happy girl. I went to the little farmer's market we have in town yesterday and they had the most beautiful baby carrots, fennel and watermelon radishes I couldn't resist getting some. I've been meaning to make this dressing for a while now and with all these fresh spring veggies to use, I thought it was the perfect time to try out my Everything Bagel Dressing.

It. Is. So. Good.

After this salad is gone I plan on using the rest as a dip for veggies and maybe even tossing it in a pasta salad with fresh peas and bacon or OH OH dipping french fries in it!! 

Yep, definitely doing that!

Everything Bagel Salad Dressing

½ cup milk

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

¾ cup mayonnaise

1 ½ teaspoon granulated garlic

1 ½ teaspoon dried minced onion

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Pour all ingredients into a 2-cup mason jar. Cover and shake well. 

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

The dressing thickens up over time as the dehydrated spices sit so be sure to allow it to chill and shake well before using.

Are you following me on Instagram? If not, you should! I post all of my recipes there and of course, updates on Beignet!

Just in case you love Everything Bagel Seasoning as much as I do here are some more ways to use it:

Everything Bagel Waffles with Avocado and Smoked Salmon

Everything Bagel Oven Fries

Little's Lunches

 Happy Monday! Here's another week of ideas for fixing those lunchboxes. My daughter has deemed the biscuit turkey sandwiches her new favorite thing, so that made an appearance numerous times during the week. She has also now requested that hard boiled eggs always be dusted with garlic salt. Pretty soon, she'll be wanting to take over and pack lunches for herself LOL!

Monday: Biscuit and Turkey sandwich, Ranch, celery, cheese cubes, cara cara orange segments

 Tuesday: Cheese and Black Olive Quesadilla, mixed raisins, celery, cara cara orange wedges

 Wednesday: Biscuit and Turkey sandwich, ranch, carrots, celery and red bell pepper slices, nectarine

 Thursday: pretzels, hard boiled egg, celery, red bell pepper slices, BBQ Sauce, grilled spinach chicken sausages, nectarine

Friday: Biscuit and Turkey sandwich, nectarine, hard boiled egg, sour apple candy

Stuffed Artichoke Muffuletta Burgers with Fried Green Tomato Fries

 Hellmann's is hosting a "Beyond the Burgers and Fries" contest and this is my final entry! This is my meatless spin on a classic New Orleans sandwich- the Muffuletta. Instead of layers of deli meats, I made a stuffed artichoke patty, topped it with melty provolone cheese, olive relish, fresh lettuce and remoulade sauce. In place of the fries? Fried green tomato fries, of course! 

Perfect for dipping in the extra remoulade sauce!

Stuffed Artichoke Muffuletta Burgers with Fried Green Tomato Fries

1 cup giardiniera, drained

1 cup green olives with pimentos

1 cup black olives

2 ½ Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

4 teaspoons zesty Italian salad dressing

3 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 

2 large eggs, lightly beaten 

1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper 

2 green onions, sliced thinly 

1 cup breadcrumbs

3/4 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise 

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 

½ teaspoon salt 

¾ cup Hellmann’s Tartar Sauce

2 Tablespoons Hellmann’s Ketchup

2 Tablespoons chili garlic sauce

2 Tablespoons butter

6 slices provolone cheese

1 ½ cup shredded lettuce

6 onion hamburger buns, toasted

Coarsely chop the giardiniera, green olives and black olives. Add the chopped vegetables to a medium mixing bowl along with the parsley and salad dressing. Stir to combine and set aside.

Lay the artichokes out on a clean dish towel and squeeze liquid from artichokes, until artichokes are well dried. Place artichokes, eggs, roasted red bell pepper, green onions, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir gently until thoroughly combined. Mold into 6 even sized patties on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

While the burger mixture is chilling make the remoulade sauce. In a small bowl whisk together the tartar sauce, ketchup and chili garlic sauce. Set in the fridge to chill.

Heat the butter in a large cast-iron skillet or non-stick griddle over medium-high heat. Cook the burgers for about 3-5 minutes. Flip the patties over and top with the cheese slices. Continue to cook about 5 minutes more, until the patties are cooked through and the cheese is melted. 

To assemble, spread the toasted burger buns lightly with some of the remoulade sauce. Top each burger bun bottom with shredded lettuce, an artichoke cake, olive salad mix and the top bun.

Fried Green Tomato Fries

2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups buttermilk

6 cups vegetable oil, for frying

4 medium green (unripe) tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch-thick matchstick

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, bread crumbs, flour, pepper, and the salt. Pour the buttermilk in a shallow dish.

In a large Dutch oven fitted with a deep-fry thermometer, over medium heat, bring the oil up to 350° degrees.

Working in batches dredge the tomato fries first in buttermilk, then the cornmeal mixture, shaking off any excess. Carefully place tomato fries in hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and allow to drain on a wire rack.

 #Hellmanns #beyondburgerandfries #ContestEntry