Garlic Cheesy Rolls

Last week I had the opportunity to spend a week doing what I love - Cooking. Cooking for 400 girls and their leaders at Girls Camp - These girls were between the age of 12 -18... Not too terribly picky. Some of the recipes I had chosen, we had to alter when we did the math, and realized that it would have taken 57 batches of dough to make one meals worth of rolls.... as disappointed as I was, in how they turned out the girls still loved them, one sweet girl asked for the recipe... so this post is for her, and anyone else wanting to try these.  I'm certain that when made as a single batch they'll turn out quite nicely. 

Garlic Cheesy Rolls

1 pkg frozen roll dough
1/2 C. Butter - 1 cube melted
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1/2 C. grated Parmesan
1 C Shredded cheese - we used the Italian 4 cheese blend (Parmesan, Asiago, Mozzarella, Romano) 

Melt the butter, add the garlic and stir. Let cool slightly.
Dip the frozen dough into the garlic butter. (Note: I used food service gloves, and just stick my hands in the butter (it will be hot)) 
Place in either a 12" dutch oven or a 9 x 13 pan. 
Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan, then with the cheese blend.
Let raise, till doubled. 
Bake at 350 degree till golden brown and when tapped, sounds hollow or when a thermometer inserted reaches 190 degrees. 
Enjoy the ooey gooey cheesy goodness. 

Now Here is the recipe I was going to make that seemed like a good idea when we first planned the meals:

Garlic Cheese Rolls

Dough                                                                      

5-6 C Flour                                                               

2 Tbsp Active dry yeast                                       

1/3 C Sugar                                                            

1 Tbsp Salt                                                               

1 Can Evaporated Milk                                       

1/2 C Milk                                                                

1 egg beaten                                                         

1/3 C butter or butter flavored shortening- melted

Filling

2 Tbsp Butter

1/3 lb Colby Jack

1 tsp salt

1 tsp granulated garlic

3 cloves of garlic minced

½ C Asiago

 Topping                                                      

1/4 C Whipping cream                                       

1/4 C Melted butter

1/4 C Parmesan cheese grated

Prepare Dough: In a mixing bowl combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, and salt; blend well. Mix in warm milk, egg, and melted butter. Mix thoroughly. Mix in remaining flour 1 cup at a time until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead it for 5 minutes until dough becomes elastic and sticky. Roll dough generously in flour, then cover and place in a warm area free from drafts to rise until double in size.

Assemble Rolls For Baking: Punch dough down then roll into a rectangular shape about 9" x 13". Brush dough with melted butter, spread on cheeses, then sprinkle with garlic and seasoned salt. Roll dough lengthwise like a jellyroll and cut into 13 1-inch rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 14" Dutch oven with 8 rolls around the outside edge, 4 rolls forming an inner circle, and 1 roll in the center. Cover Dutch oven and let rise for 15 minutes.

Brush tops of rolls with whipping cream.  Bake using 10 briquettes around the outside on the bottom and 18-20 briquettes top until rolls turn a light brown color.

Yield: 13 rolls

These are great paired with any Italian dish - or just on their own.... 

Warning - I love garlic, if it's too much for you feel free to cut back. 

Have fun cookin'

Cyndi

Smoked Brisket

Yesterday, in Utah it was our "Statehood" Day or the celebration of the day our state was accepted into the union (I stand corrected. A little rusty on my state history, I guess - Thank you - Jake) was founded by the Mormon Pioneers. Around here we call it Pioneer Days, Day of '47 - I am just grateful - I get the day off of work. Now granted I was the only member of my family that got the day off - the rest of them had to work. I decided to fix them a special dinner 'cause I had the time. 

Our local grocery store had a deal on Briskets .... OK so my daughter calls it the "cute girl discount" - the butcher was talking to me about the cuts they offered, then went in the back to see what he had, he came out with a $40 brisket and then promptly marked it down to $24. It pays to be friendly to your butcher. 

Here is what I did to make this little taste of heaven...

Smoked Brisket

Season brisket with your favorite seasoning.

Place brisket fat side up, on foil or in a foil pan (to collect the juices). 

Prepare 12-15 briquettes, place on the bottom grate of your Weber Kettle, for indirect heat.

Add to the briquettes,a few small pieces of your favorite fruit wood (I used apple).

Place the pan or foil w/meat on the top rack of your Weber Kettle. 

Put the lid on and walk away for an hour or so, when the smoke slows check to see if you need to add more briquettes (note only add 4-6 at a time any more will raise the heat too much and will end up burning your meat).

When the meat temps out at 180 degrees (F). 4-5 hours.

Pull an place in a pan with all the juices, cover with foil and let it sit. I like to place mine in the oven on warm (175 degrees) while I fix the rest of the meal.

Another option is after 3 hours pull from the grill and place in a pan with all the juices, cover with foil and place in the oven at 200 degrees for 3-4 hours, till the meat temps out at,at least 180 degrees. 

If you have leftovers - this makes a great sandwich the next day.

Have fun cookin' 

Cyndi

 

Peach Cobbler

Being without my laptop is like being lost in a dark forest with a fading flashlight.
I am going to post a few recipes tonight that I hope will get you in the kitchen or your outdoor kitchens this weekend and give these a try.

The standard dessert in a Dutch Oven is usually a cobbler. I have given y'all my Super Simple Cobbler recipe, but here is my go to Peach Cobbler, and with Peach season right around the corner (in Utah), give this one a try.

Peach Cobbler

2 C. Fresh peaches, peeled (you can use canned if you'd like just omit the 1st step)
2 C. Sugar
3/4 C. Flour
pinch of salt
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 C. Milk
1/2 C. butter (1 cube)
Mix peaches with 1 C. sugar; let stand.
Sift flour, salt, and baking powder; mix in remaining sugar.
Stir in milk.
Melt the butter in a 12" Dutch Oven (or large baking dish).
Pour the batter over the butter; do not stir.
Pour the peaches over the batter, again do not stir.
Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Note: this seems like its backwards putting the fruit on top of the batter - I promise, the batter will rise through the peaches and it will look like a cobbler when done, and taste "amazing".

Sorry no pictures - as soon as I get some fresh peaches, I will post one.

Have fun cookin'
Cyndi

Blueberry Muffins

Last weekend while shopping at our local Winco the had a super buy on Blueberries, I used them in one of my competition dishes that I will share later... ;) but the left overs were just screaming MUFFINS!

I searched what cookbooks I had, due to my computer being down. and found this recipe that I tweaked due to the fact that I didn't have all the ingredients and it was 6:00 in the morning and I wasn't going to run to the store. 

Blueberry Muffins

2 eggs

1 C milk

2/3 C oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp lemon rind - (didn't have - used and Orange) - zested

2 2/3 C flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C sugar

1 1/2 C blueberries

Vanilla Sugar

Whip eggs, milk, oil and vanilla together. Add "citrus" zest. Add flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 C sugar. Mix well and add blueberries (fresh is nice but frozen will work also). Spray your muffin tin (I like to use liners also)  Spoon it to the muffin tin, top with Vanilla sugar or Raw sugar and bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes till golden brown.

I have some left over berries this morning, I think a batch of  mixed berry muffins may be in order for this morning ... I'll let you know how they turn out. :) 

In the mean time.... 

Have fun cookin'

Cyndi

Veggie Pizza

As I mentioned in my last post, my life this year is a bit crazy. I just returned from a week long cruise in Alaska, followed by a weekend at the cabin for Memorial day, then yesterday we spent the day up at the Camp Chef Warehouse for a Dutch Oven Gathering. And working full time in-between.

I thought I'd share one of the recipes I did yesterday for the DoG. It was pretty simple and perfect for the weather- It was too hot for hot food in my opinion. Not only that but I'm still working off the cruise food. 

Fresh Veggie Pizza

This was prepared in a 12" Dutch oven lid, but if you have a pizza pan or stone that will work great in the oven. 

2 Packages (8 oz) refrigerator crescent rolls

1 (8 oz) container of whipped cream cheese

4 oz. regular cream cheese

2 Tablespoons Mayo or Salad dressing

1 Teaspoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons Dill weed

Salt and pepper to taste

and chopped veggies to taste - On this one is Broccoli, green onions, yellow peppers, shredded carrots, shredded cucumber, celery, tomatoes, and sliced mushrooms. Other options are zucchini, yellow squash, olives, red or green bell peppers - the sky is the limit with the fresh veggies that are in season.

For the Dutch Oven version: lightly spray the inside your lid (I prefer the lids that have a deeper lip than the flat - but they will work too.) with Bakers Joy or Pam type spray. Separate the crescent rolls into 16 triangles and place them with the wide ends on the outside and the points on the inside. Pressing the seams together - on this lid I ended up with an extra triangle that I just used pieces to fill in, then put the rest in the center - see pic.

Bake with your Dutch Oven upside down (lid on the bottom - Supported by a trivet) with 8 coals under and 17 on top, 15-20 minutes - until golden brown. Let cool.

For the Oven version - the layout will be the same just using a pizza pan or stone and bake at 375 in your oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Topping - 

In a medium sized bowl combine cream cheeses, mayo, salt, pepper, garlic and dill weed, stir until combined and spread evenly over the crescent rolls. 

Sprinkle Veggies over the pizza - Layer if you like, lightly dust with a little more dill weed, slice and serve. 

This will feed about 10 people as a side dish. 

This was definitely different that what is usually prepare at a Dutch Oven Gathering, and was certainly a nice change of pace. 

I hope you will try this out on your next camping trip or even for dinner this week. 

Have fun cookin' 

Cyndi

Camping note - If you try this out camping - take a minute before you leave to chop all your veggies and bag them for quicker prep at the camp site and it will give you more family time in the outdoors! 

I'm still here...

Hi there - Just wanted to let you all know I am still here.... just insanely busy the last few weeks. With the World Championship Dutch Oven Cook-off last month then Dad got sick and we had him in the hospital for a week... time just slipped away.

Here is a quick recap from my view of the WCCO at the ISE in Sandy Utah. This was March 14-17, an absolutely gorgeous weekend. On Thursday I was able to help out in the IDOS booth selling cookbooks and merchandise and talking with the public about all the great food they can cook in a Dutch Oven. Andrew and I cooked in the Semi-Finals on Friday

Mushroom & Gorgonzola Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

Strawberry Cream Puffs

Mustard Muenster Bread

  - With these dishes we qualified to cook on Saturday for the Championship. In my words we got to go to the dance.... YEAH!!! On Saturday we cooked Crab Stuffed Beef Tenderloin (I'm a bit of a sucker for surf 'n turf), Baklava, and Pumpkin Rolls.

Raspberry Peach Baklava

Crab Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Scallops

Pumpkin Rolls

This year they had a peoples choice award where the people visiting the ISE could sign up at the IDOS booth, fill out a questionnaire about the teams, and then they were entered in a drawing to be a judge. I was surprised to be chosen as the  peoples choice winner for bread (the pumpkin rolls). The prize was a nice cookbook from Lodge.

Peoples Choice - Bread

Over all Andrew and I came in 8th. That was pretty exciting, as a Mom, I'm pretty proud of Andrew and how well we did. I know I'm not always the easiest to work with when we are competing, but he knew what needed to be done and where to be so that he was not in the way. It was a great weekend, I enjoyed spending time with my family and my Dutch Oven family, they are all wonderful people with hearts of gold.

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

3/4 cup whole milk, scalded

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

6 tablespoons butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

4 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast plus 1 teaspoon white sugar

1/4 cup lukewarm water

5 cups all-purpose flour

15-20 pecan halves, sliced into 3 vertical sections

1/4 cup melted butter, optional

Pour hot milk in a mixing bowl, add butter and stir to melt. Add sugars, pumpkin puree, and salt to the milk and combine well.

In a small bowl, proof yeast in lukewarm water with a teaspoon sugar. When it gets foamy add to the pumpkin mixture, and add the egg, mix well. Add in flour gradually and mix until well combined. The dough will be sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a counter top dusted with a little flour. Knead for 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball shape, place in a greased bowl and cover with a cloth. Let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hour.

Punch the dough to deflate and turn it out on to a counter top and knead it for a few seconds. Cut the dough in half. Cut each half into about 15 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball shape with your hand. Flatten the piece with palm of your hand a little. Using a knife, give 8 cuts on the edge to mimic flower pedals but the leave center uncut.

Poke the center with your finger to give a deep indentation, and repeat the same procedure to all the other pieces.

Place them, 2" apart, in a Dutch Oven (I like to use the lid of my oval lined with parchment paper), and let them rise again till doubled, about 45 minutes.

If the center indentation is not obvious on the rolls, poke them again with your finger. Brush with egg wash, and bake at 350°F for 9-12 minutes until the top gets slightly golden. Brush the rolls with melted butter or a little honey diluted with water to make them shine. Insert pecan slices on top to mimic pumpkin stem.

Adapted from www.beyondkimchee.com

Egg Wash

1 Egg

1 tablespoon water

Beat till incorporated. Brush top of dough before baking. 

Have Fun Cookin'

Cyndi

Apricot Chicken en Croûte

I wanted to make something different for Dinner tonight and I came across this recipe on the Campbell's kitchen it is an elegantly presented dish that is surprisingly easy to make. It features tender chicken, colorful vegetables and seasoned cream cheese baked in a golden, flaky puff pastry crust. Please see my notes at the end for my take on this recipe.

Apricot Chicken en Croûte

Egg wash

1 egg
1 tablespoon water

1 package (17.3 ounces) Puff Pastry Sheets, thawed
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
1 egg yolk
1 small red pepper, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 small green pepper, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup Chicken Broth

Heat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork and set aside.

Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 14-inch square. Cut into 4 (7-inch) squares. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet.

Stir the cream cheese, 1/4 cup preserves, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon ginger root and egg yolk in a medium bowl.

Spread about 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture on the bottom third of each pastry square. Top each with about 4 red and 4 green pepper strips, and 1 chicken breast. Brush the edges of the pastry with water. Fold 2 opposite sides of the pastry over the filling. Starting at the short side with the chicken, roll up like a jelly roll. Press the seams to seal. Place the pastries, seam-side down, onto a baking sheet. Brush the pastries with the egg mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the pastry is golden brown. Let the pastries cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Heat the broth, remaining preserves, soy sauce and ginger root in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbling, stirring occasionally. Serve the sauce with the chicken.

In a Dutch Oven:
Imagine sitting amongst the trees, listening to the stream as it rushes by, birds singing in the trees, with just you and your sweetheart….. as you sit down to this awesome meal just the 2 of you. You can picture the table with a fine linen tablecloth, candlesticks, and beautiful stemware…..  Ok so that’s not gonna happen. For most of us, there will be dogs barking, kids screaming, guys in the next campground over yelling, and you are just rushed to get a meal on the table…. but a girl can dream can’t she?

This would be a great meal to surprise your family with, it is not difficult to make and it looks pretty too.

Prepare as stated, placing  3 – 4 chicken packages in a 12” Dutch Oven place 19 coals on the top and 10 underneath and bake till a thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 165° and the pastry is golden brown.

For the sauce, prepare in a 5” Dutch Oven place over 8-10 coals

Adapted from Campbell's Kitchen, Apricot Chicken

So after making this and tasting it - here are a few of my own addition - the Cream Cheese mixture makes a great sauce also. My family wasn't sold on the broth mixture, they said it was too soy saucy... we tried both, the cream cheese mixture was our favorite.

When it came to the size of the Chicken the chicken breasts I bought were about the size of my hand, I cut them in half and still had to trim them to fit, Chicken tenders would be perfect.

These could be made smaller - bite size if you wanted to take the time. Either way this was pretty taste and I will probably make this again and maybe add some mushrooms or sprouts, this had an oriental flavor from the soy sauce and ginger, but not over powering (unless you use the sauce (my opinion)).

To make this healthier, use low sodium soy sauce, fat free or low fat cream cheese, and low fat sodium free chicken stock.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this recipe.

I hope your family enjoys this as much as mine did.
Have fun cookin'
Cyndi

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