Individual Cheesy Potato Mushroom Gratins

 

Get ready to impress your taste buds with these Individual Cheesy Potato Mushroom Gratins! 🍄🧀🥔

Imagine layers of tender, blanched potatoes nestled in rich, creamy cheese sauce, featuring a delightful trio of cream cheese, Asiago, and Gruyere. Add to that the earthy goodness of golden sautéed mushrooms, infused with garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Each bite is a harmonious blend of flavors, topped with a crunchy Parmesan and toasted almond crumb, and garnished with fresh chives for that perfect finishing touch.

These gratins are baked to golden perfection in individual ramekins, making them not only delicious but also charmingly personal. Whether you're hosting a dinner party or simply treating yourself, these cheesy potato mushroom gratins are sure to be a hit. So, preheat your oven, grab your ramekins, and get ready to enjoy a dish that's as fun to make as it is to eat! 😋

Bon appétit! 🍽️

Ingredients  

• 2 lbs. russet baking potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 1/3 cups of heavy cream
• 2/3 cup half & half
• 3 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup shredded Asiago cheese
• 2/3 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
• 3/4 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 3/4 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted and chopped
• 1 1/3 tbsp butter
• 1 1/3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp fresh chives, thinly sliced

Prep Essentials:

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cooking Time: 25 - 30 minutes
• Cooking Method: Stovetop/oven
• Servings: 6

Recipe Essential Tools:

• Double Boiler or a non-stick saucepan for cheese sauce
• Wooden Spoon
• Whisk
• Cheese Grater
• 6 8 oz size ramekins

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F.

2.  Bring a large pot of salt water to a boil. Blanch sliced potatoes for 4 minutes, drain, and set aside.

3.  Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden and moisture evaporates, about 6-8 minutes.

4.  Stir in garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper; cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat.

5.  In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes to form a roux.

6.  Gradually whisk in heavy cream and half & half, stirring constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes.

7.  Reduce heat to low. Add cream cheese, Asiago, Gruyere, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.

8.  Divide half the potatoes evenly into six 8-ounce ramekins. Top evenly with half the mushroom mixture.

9.  Pour half the cheese sauce over each ramekin.

10. Repeat layering with the remaining potatoes, mushrooms, and cheese sauce.

11. Combine Parmesan cheese and toasted almonds, and sprinkle evenly over each gratin.

12. Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes until tops are golden brown, and  gratins are bubbly.

13. Garnish with fresh chives before serving.

I love making Biscuits - Thanks to You Mom

 Biscuits Galore: A Delicious Tribute to My Mother and Southern Roots

The art of biscuit-making was inspired by my mother, who made the best biscuits in the world from scratch. I am a city girl with southern roots, who shares my love for biscuits in various forms - square, round, plain, blueberry, cheddar cheese, and pumpkin. But the task of making them from scratch, like my mother, was hard.

So, since this is all about cooking from “The Pantry”, quick and easy meals. My shortcut is using a “Biscuit Mix” and putting my touches on it. I present to you four mouth-watering biscuit recipes using my favorite biscuit mix, “Bisquick”.

Pumpkin Biscuits: These biscuits are made with Bisquick mix, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, pumpkin puree, and a touch of agave nectar. They are perfect for a cozy autumn day.

Ingredients – Pumpkin Biscuits

•  3 cups Bisquick Biscuit mix
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Spice
• 1tsp Salt
• 1 cup Pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Club Soda
• 2 tbsp Agave Nectar 
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400˚   

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients first - Biscuit mix, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, and salt, then blend well. Add wet ingredients, pumpkin puree, egg, club soda, agave nectar, and olive oil. Blend the dough well, then flour your board and scrape the dough onto the board, and flour your hands. Knead dough by hand until smooth, but do not handle the dough too much. You do not want tough biscuits.  

3. Pat the dough flat about 3/4 - inch and use a 3" biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits. If you are from the old school, you can use a drinking glass. Place on a baking sheet about 1/2 a part and bake for about 12 - 15 minutes or until golden brown. Then remove from the oven and serve with "real maple syrup" butter or jelly.  

Cheddar Cheese Biscuits: These savory biscuits are packed with triple cheddar cheese and buttermilk, making them a cheesy delight for any meal.

Ingredients – Cheddar Cheese Biscuits

• 3 cups Biscuit mix
• 1teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons  Olive Oil
• 1egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup Club Soda
• 1 Cup Triple Cheddar Cheese

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients, and then add wet ingredients. Once everything is combined, add Cheddar Cheese and blend well.   Sprinkle flour on the pastry board and your hands and knead the dough, then flatten the dough to about 1/2 " thick. Cut out biscuits with a biscuit or cookie cutter. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until golden brown.  

3. While biscuits are baking, melt 3 tablespoons of butter or margarine in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Then set aside.   When biscuits are done, pour melted butter over them and then serve.

Blueberry Biscuits: These biscuits combine the tanginess of buttermilk with the sweetness of blueberries, creating a perfect balance of flavors.

Plain Butter Milk Biscuits: Old-fashioned butter milk biscuits, square or round, are a great vehicle for "Sausage Gravy."

Ingredients – Buttermilk and Blueberry Biscuits

•     3 cups Biscuit mix 

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup Buttermilk

• 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil 

• 1egg, beaten

• 1/4 cup Club Soda

• 1 cup of blueberries (for blueberry biscuits)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients, and then add wet ingredients. Once everything is combined, add Blueberries (if making blueberry biscuits) and blend well.   Sprinkle flour on the pastry board and your hands and knead the dough, then flatten the dough to about 1/2 " thick. Cut out biscuits with a biscuit or cookie cutter. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until golden brown.

3. While biscuits are baking, melt 3 tablespoons of butter or margarine in the microwave oven for about 30 seconds. Then set aside. When biscuits are done, pour melted butter over them and serve with your favorite honey or jelly.

Wonderful Adventure at the World Food Championships

World Food Championships 2014 

This year WFC Grand Prize @ the Final Table was $100,000.00

http://www.worldfoodchampionships.com/news/431/san-diego-chef-crowned-2014-world-food-champion

What excitement last week November 12th - 18th.

2014 World Food Championship (9) Categories

• Barbecue
• Chili
• Sandwich
• Burger
• Dessert
• Bacon
• Recipe
• Pasta
• Seafood

The recipe category was based on the theme " Cheese". 

Judges were told that every recipe must feature and highlight cheese as the star of the dish.

 Kenmore Kitchen Coliseum 

My Signature Dish - This Isn't A Philly Cheesesteak

The Signature Dish is intended to allow the cook to put their best foot forward. Show the judges what you can do best with cheese.

After the signature round my sandwich put me in the Top Twenty coming in at # 13 with a score of 81.75%

Structured Build Dish  Picadillo w/Chili Cheese

The theme for Structured Build Dish was South of the Border. Mexican cuisine is a culinary favorite.  This round separates the proverbial "men from the boys"  by creating an even footing or structure, which will show our proven culinary skills.  After this round, my Picadillo earned me 87.875% and moved me from the Top 20 to the Top Ten 7th place.

Infused Ingredient Round - Cheese & Potatoes

Cheesy Potato Mushroom Gratin score 78.44%

The infused ingredient for the Recipe Category was Potatoes.  This round will show off a cook's culinary creativity and ability to pair featured ingredients in a manner that both creates an impressive finished product and also highlights cheese and potatoes. Now not expecting to make it to the top ten, I had to create a recipe on the fly to fix for this round.  My combined score for all three entries was 80.99%, which placed 4th in Top Ten Recipe Category.

http://www.worldfoodchampionships.com/scores/competition/7

I had so much fun doing this and I looking forward to next years 2015 World Food Championship which will be held in Kissimmee Florida November 1st - 8th 2015.

Tomato and Spinach Tart

Cooking from the pantry -  I have 4 lovely tomatoes that I needed to use before they get to ripe.  I really wanted to make a pizza, but realized I did not have ready made pizza dough.  So I decided to use pie crust and make a tart with my fresh tomatoes and spinach.   So is it a pizza or tart?  Well you can call it what ever you would like. All I know is my Tomato and Spinach Tart was very good.  I hope you will try this from the pantry recipe.

 Ingredients

• 1 - 9" pie crust 
• 4 medium tomatoes, cut about 1/4" thick slices
• 12 spinach leafs cut in half
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese slice thin or shredded mozzarella low-moisture
• 1 tablespoon of oregano
• 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon MRS Dash Herb and Garlic seasoning

 

Step 1

Preheat oven 375° and spray pie pan with cooking spray.  Unfold pie crust and place in pan.  With a fork prick crust, then line crust with parchment paper.  Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for about 10 - 15 minutes.   Once done remove from oven, then remove dried beans and parchment paper.

 

 

Step 2

Brush pie crust with olive oil and line the bottom of crust with mozzarella slices, then place spinach leafs on top.  Season with MRS Dash, then arrange slice tomatoes on top of the spinach.  Sprinkle oregano and parmesan cheese on top, bake for about 30 - 35 minutes.  Serve hot or room temperature.

 

Tomato and Spinach Tart with fresh mozzarella cheese.  It's like a deep dish pizza.

 

Note: If cheese exudes some liquid while baking, tilt the pan and spoon it off to keep the pie crust from becoming soggy. 

Cooking from the Pantry Sunday Morning - Quiche

Mushroom Bell Pepper Quiche 

This Sunday morning, I'm cooking from the pantry, making quiche with whatever I have on hand. Today, I have mushrooms, various-colored bell peppers, onions, parsley, eggs, milk, cheese, and a 9-inch pie crust. Let's get started.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Portabella Mushrooms (diced)
• 1 cup Bell Peppers (diced) 
• 1/2 cup Red Onions / Scallions 
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
• 1 cup Sharp Cheddar and Gouda combined
• 5 large eggs
• 2/3 cup of low fat Milk
• 9" Pie Crust 
• 1 Small Baking potato (diced) 
• 4 cloves Garlic (minced)

Baking Tools : 4   4 1/2" tart shells or one 9"  Pie Dish

Prep time: 15     Cook Time: 30 - 35 minutes    Let Stand: 10 minutes

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook vegetables in a skillet with a tablespoon of Olive Oil on medium heat, starting with diced potatoes first. Then add the rest of the veggies and cook for about 5 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Then remove from heat and let cool.
3. Beat eggs and milk in a medium bowl with a whisk until blended well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, or use MS Dash Herb & Garlic Seasoning. 
4. Stir in the cooled veggie mixture and 1/2 cup of cheese. Then, in tart pans or pie pans with pie crust, pour the mixture into the pie crust and place it on a baking sheet.
5. Bake 30 - 35 minutes. Top the quiche with the remaining cheese and bake 5 to 8 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving. Check out my video on 3 Cheese Quiche for Kraft's Touch of Giving campaign.