Tag Archives: appetizers

Chive Risotto Cakes

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I’d never even thought of making something like this until I saw the recipe for these Chive Risotto Cakes in Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook. I love risotto. I love anything with the name “cakes” in the title. And I love Ina Garten. There was no way this wasn’t going to be something I loved, and it wasn’t. These are fantastic!

I, of course, made a meal out of a couple of them, but wouldn’t they be a great appetizer or a side dish? I love the creaminess the Fontina cheese brings to these little darlings. It goes so well with the chives and the yogurt, believe it or not. If you like risotto, you’re gonna absolutely love the heck out of these.

How’s that for simple ingredients? All you need is some Greek yogurt, 2 extra large eggs, 1 1/2 cups of grated Fontina cheese, a cup of Arborio rice, a little bit of chopped chives, 3/4 cup of panko, salt, pepper and some olive oil. (The entire recipe is printed below) I love when something so wonderful comes from such simple ingredients.

To make Ina’s Chive Risotto Cakes, the first thing I did was make the rice. Very simple:  just bring a large pot of water to boil, add 1/2 tablespoon of salt and the Arborio rice. Let it cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. It will be soft when it’s done.

While the rice was cooking, I lightly beat the two eggs….

….and mixed them in with the yogurt, eggs, chives, Fontina and salt and pepper.

I knew right here we were about to experience tasty risotto cake goodness. I couldn’t resist, and had to have a little taste…..yep, it was perfect.

Once the rice was done, I drained it well with a wire mesh sieve and mixed it in with the cheese mixture. You want your rice to be cold when you do this, so drain it, then rinse it with cold water.

Once my rice was drained and rinsed, I added it to the cheese mixture….

and mixed it up well with just a large spoon.

Then it was time to wait. I covered everything with plastic cling wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for two hours. You can let it chill overnight if you’d like. The idea is to have a firm mixture after chilling….

….because next it’s time to form little 3 inch patties, each about 3/4 of an inch thick. I put the panko bread crumbs in a shallow plate and put the patties on top of it. I turned them once, so the panko coated both sides of the patties.

With 3 tablespoons of olive oil heated in my large skillet it was time to fry ‘em up! They looked so good. The problem was, the pan wasn’t hot enough. The recipe said to cook them over medium-low heat. That didn’t work for me. I had to kick the heat up to medium-high before the cakes started browning the way they were supposed to. Remember, I have a 20 year old Jenn Air electric stove top, so don’t assume you’ll have the same problem, but I wanted to mention it anyway.

It took about 5 minutes on each side for me to get this:

Chive Risotto Cake bliss. Yes they were as good as they look, thank you very much! :) Hubby was so happy with these, and as for me? A big fan of risotto? I could have eaten all twelve of them.

In other news, I really shouldn’t write cooking blog posts when I’m hungry….

Enjoy them if you try them and have a wonderful Wednesday!

xoxo,

Sarah

Chive Risotto Cakes Recipe

Adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten in her cookbook, Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics

Print the original recipe at The Food Network

Ingredients:

  • Kosher salt
  • 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 extra-large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
  • 1 1/2 cups grated Italian fontina cheese (5 ounces)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
  • Good olive oil

Directions:

Bring a large (4-quart) pot of water to a boil over medium-low heat and add 1/2 tablespoon salt and the Arborio rice. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. The grains of rice will be quite soft. Drain the rice in a sieve and run under cold water until cool. Drain well.

Meanwhile, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, chives, Fontina, 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper in a medium bowl. Add the cooled rice and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, until firm.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Spread the panko in a shallow dish. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Form balls of the rice mixture using a standard (2 1/4-inch) ice-cream scoop or a large spoon (we used the large spoon). Pat the balls into patties 3 inches in diameter and 3/4-inch thick. Place 4 to 6 patties in the panko, turning once to coat. Place the patties in the hot oil and cook, turning once, for about 3 minutes on each side until the risotto cakes are crisp and nicely browned. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and keep warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Continue cooking in batches, adding oil as necessary, until all the cakes are fried. Arrange on a serving platter and serve hot.

Game Day Treat – Blue Cheese Garlic Bread

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Note to self: You despise blue cheese and everything it stands for.

Hubby, however, is a HUGE fan of blue cheese and absolutely loves this Blue Cheese Garlic bread I threw together today. His exact words were, “It’s delicious. I can’t stop eating it.” So I decided to post it just for you blue cheese lovers.

Basically, this came about because I wanted to use a few things up while at the same time, making something special for football watching today. I did buy a fresh loaf of bread at the bakery for this, but everything else I had. I’d purchased the blue cheese for something that I can’t remember, and decided this was a good way to go with it. It had been a long time since I’d tasted blue cheese, and I thought maybe, just maybe, I should give it another chance. Who knows? Maybe I’d like it this time? Um, no. I still despise it. More than ever. I get points for trying it again though, right?

The rest of the very simple ingredients are: a loaf of Italian bread (the fresher the better), Kalamata olives, a small red onion, 4 cloves of garlic, fresh rosemary, coarsely ground black pepper and of course, the blue cheese. You’ll also need a stick of butter.

It’s all very simple and quick.  First, slice your bread in half lengthwise. You’ll do much better at making your slices even than I did. :)

Next, in a small sauce pan, melt the butter over low heat and stir in the finely chopped garlic with it. Once the butter is all melted, brush it on each cut side of the bread.

(From here on out, use whatever toppings you’d like. You’ve got the basis for a wonderful round of experimentation right here!)

Next, I used 4 ounces of crumbled blue cheese on each half of the bread. For those of us that aren’t fans of blue cheese, any other cheese will work. Next time I might try goat cheese, but really, any kind will do – mozzarella, swiss, colby jack, etc., etc.  Just make sure there’s 4 ounces of it for each side of the bread, for a total of 8 ounces.

After the cheese, add all the onion slices you want…..

….and then as many olives as you want. Sprinkle some fresh rosemary over everything, then finish with some freshly ground black pepper. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes. We baked ours for 15 because hubby wanted it browned up a little. I like mine a little less browned, but whatever it takes to stop him from turning the broiler on, I’m all for it. Yes, I’m afraid of my broiler.

Even I think this cheese bread is beautiful. The bread was crunchy on the outside, and nice and soft inside. It was perfect.

And here’s our finished Blue Cheese Garlic Bread. Perfect for a game day treat, right? I love special little yummies we can just pick up and eat with our fingers while watching football. Especially when it doesn’t take long to make.

And when they don’t have blue cheese in them.

I hope you’re having fun with your Sunday! Did you cook anything today? What was it?

Blue Cheese Garlic Bread Recipe

Serves 6

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Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 loaf Italian bread, approximately 12 inches long
  • 8 ounces of blue cheese, crumbled
  • Coarsely ground black pepper
  • Kalamata Olives, pitted and halved
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the garlic and set aside. Cut the bread lengthwise in half. Place the bread cut side up on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Brush the cut sides with the garlic butter mixture. Sprinkle with the cheese and onion. Add the olives and rosemary and sprinkle with pepper (You can stop here and refrigerate, tightly covered, up to 24 hours if you’d like).

Bake until the cheese melts. 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool  a couple minutes before cutting into  1 1/2 to 2 inch wide slices. Serve warm.

Easy Lil’ Smokies Cocktail Sausage Appetizer Recipe

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I think it’s a law here in Wisconsin that you have to serve a version of a Lil’ Smokies recipe at every single party you host. Us Cheeseheads love these little guys, and I have to admit, I eat them at every party we see them. It’s kind of fun to try everyone’s version of the recipe. :)

Here’s our version of the Easy Lil’ Smokies Cocktail Sausage Recipe (with a printable version below):

Our recipe has 7 ingredients, including those wonderful Sheboygan Sausage Company cocktail sausages. Of course, you can use any cocktail sausage or wiener you like, including Lil Smokies, but if you can get these, try them. They’re incredibly good.

And did I mention how easy these are to prepare? Just throw all the ingredients, except the sausages, in a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat until the sauce is thick and bubbly. That’s probably why we see them at all the get togethers, they’re lightning fast and easy to prepare.

Then, just transfer them to a small slow-cooker to keep them warm. Done! Yay for fast and easy! (psssst….If you’d like a little more zip to the sauce, just add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce, or, and I highly recommend this, a half teaspoon (or more!) of Sriracha :) )

Lil Smokies Cocktail Sausage Appetizer Recipe

Printer-friendly PDF version

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of Sheboygan Cocktail Sausages or other cocktail wieners, like Lil’ Smokies
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • ½ cup white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce

Directions:

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, mix all ingredients and stir until thick and bubbly. Add the sausages and transfer to a small slow-cooker.  If you’re having a lot of people at your party, you might want to double this recipe.

Gameday Appetizer – Caramelized Onion and Bacon Dip

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It’s football Sunday! Around here that means food. Surprise, surprise, right?

Hubby and I have started a tradition of making some new (to us), fun appetizers for our football time. This Caramelized Onion and Bacon Dip has leapt to the top of our favorites list. I’m crazy about this recipe – every mouthful is filled with savory flavors that go perfectly together, and it’s quick and easy to do.

This recipe makes about 2 cups of dip. I love the gooey, cheesy texture with a crunchy toasted baguette. I’m sure it would be good on crackers or other breads too, which I’ll try next time. Maybe.  For now, it’s perfect in every way.

This recipe is dangerous for us because it’s looking like both of us could eat the entire thing and there’s a lot of calories living in that bubbly dip…

Caramelized Onion, Bacon and Gruyère Cheese Dip Recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 2 Spanish onions (about 1 pound), halved and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
  • 3 applewood (or cherrywood) smoked bacon strips
  • 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Melt butter with oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sugar, and salt; cook, stirring occasionally until onions soften (8-10 minutes) and just begin to turn golden. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until onions turn deep golden brown (it took mine about 20 minutes). Stir in vinegar, scraping bottom of skillet to deglaze pan. Cook, stirring often, until vinegar is reduced by half. Stir in thyme.

2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Let bacon cool, then crumble into small pieces.

3. In a medium bowl combine cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise. Stir in onions and bacon. Transfer to a 2-cup baking dish.

4. Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly and top is lightly golden.

Enjoy!

Have a terrific Sunday!

Gameday Appetizer – Stump’s Hot Olive Dip Recipe

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It’s a big sports weekend in Wisconsin, and we’ve been cooking up some yummy gameday treats for the festivities.


This Stump’s Hot Olive Dip is one of today’s treats. It’s quick and easy to make and is the perfect appetizer to serve during the Packers and Brewers pregame shows!

Stump’s Hot Olive Dip Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. package of cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup of sour cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 10 Stump’s Hot Olives (from Wausau, Wisconsin!)
  • 1/2 cup of salsa
  • 1 tablespoon of olive juice

Directions:

Throw everything in your food processor and process until smooth. Serve it with your favorite chips, crackers, pretzels breadsticks, etc. How easy is that?

We LOVE this one and I can’t wait to finish typing up this post so I can go enjoy it while waiting for our Packers and Brewers to come on.  :)

I hope your Sunday is going exactly the way you want it to!