Grilled Potato BLT Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

As evidenced by the archives of my blog, we eat tons of salads in the summer.  I can't get enough of my chopped summer veggie grilled salad, a classic caprese, watermelon feta salad, basic caesar, and everything in between.  And now I have this amazing salad to add to the rotation.

I first made this salad over Memorial Day weekend, and I served it as a side dish to grilled New York Strips.  Wouldn't you know, I all but ignored my perfectly cooked steak, and just totally devoured this salad instead!  I continued the obsession all summer long, making this for lunches quite often, and it makes for a wonderful dinner as well.  I've never made a salad with two dressings, but the combination of the light vinaigrette and the drizzle of rich blue cheese dressing works so well.  The bracing vinaigrette is mellowed by the blue cheese, and the pungent blue cheese is sharpened by the vinaigrette.  Love all around.

I have this bad habit of "remembering" what I need for recipes I've made in the past, and instead of checking the actual source, I just buy what I think I need.  Unsurprisingly, this leaves me short of ingredients quite often, but I've gotten pretty good at improvising.  Last time I made this, I was out of sour cream and buttermilk, and I used Mexican crema and mayonnaise instead with no ill effects.  It's also forgiving for the herbs;  scallions or grated onion work well in place of the chives, or add basil or parsley to the dressing or vinaigrette as well.  You can roast the potatoes instead of grilling, and grilled zucchini is a great addition too.  Basically, this is a super forgiving and adaptable salad, so feel free to take your own liberties with the recipe/  And should you have any potatoes leftover, they are ridiculously addictive dipped into the blue cheese dressing.

Grilled Potato BLT Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
adapted from Fine Cooking, June/July 2016

There are several components to this salad, but they are all really easy and it comes together quite quickly, especially if you prep the dressing and vinaigrette ahead of time.

Blue Cheese Dressing

• 2 oz blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup sour cream, plain yogurt, or mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup buttermilk, creme fraiche, or crema
• 1 tsp chopped dill
• 1 tsp snipped fresh chives
• 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
• dash of hot sauce
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper

For the Salad

• 2 lb fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise, or quartered if very large
• kosher salt
• 24 cherry tomatoes, halved
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 head of iceberg lettuce, quartered and very thinly sliced (or 2 romaine hearts, halved and thinly sliced)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 6 oz thick-sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

Prepare your grill to cook at medium-high heat.  

Make the dressing:  In a medium bowl, whisk together the blue cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, dill, chives, vinegar, and hot sauce.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and set aside.

Make the vinaigrette:  In a mason jar, combine the vinegar, shallot, and mustard.  Shake well to combine.  Add the oil and shake again, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook the potatoes and make the salad:  Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with 1 inch of water.  Season with 2 Tbs salt, and bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Boil for 3 minutes, then drain the potatoes in a large colander and rinse with cool water.  

Spread the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet to completely cool and dry until you're ready to grill.  They can sit for up to 2 hours at room temperature, or up to 8 hours, covered in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, toss the cherry tomatoes with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and set aside.

Toss the potatoes with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Grill the potatoes, turning once, for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until they are tender throughout and nicely marked.  Taste and season with additional salt if needed.

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce with basil and about 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette.  Divide evenly among plates and top with potatoes, tomatoes, and bacon, and drizzle with the blue cheese dressing.  Serve.

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Hamburgers

 

I'm blaming my own lack of awareness on both the excessively cool spring we've had and still being in a bit of a baby-induced fog.  But is it just me, or did the summer totally sneak up on us this year?  I didn't even realize it was Memorial Day weekend until the Thursday before when someone asked our plans for the long weekend.  And now we're suddenly almost halfway through June??  Caroline is starting kindergarten in August, and Smith will be starting preschool in September.  Time needs to slow down juuuust a little, because before I know it the twins will be graduating from high school!

But now that I'm firmly in summer-mode, I'm taking full advantage of the warm weather - dinner is cooked on the grill almost every night, and we've been eating on the screen porch nightly as well.  The kids just love being out there - Caroline gets super excited when I start carrying things out to the porch for dinner.

These burgers were one of our first al fresco dinners of the season.  It's a basic burger, but its kicked up a notch by stuffing it with a blue cheese filling.  The filling is a mixture of blue cheese, cream cheese, shallots, garlic, and mustard.  And it's goooood.  The rich and creamy filling pairs just swimmingly with the juicy burgers.  I couldn't get enough.

They come together quite quickly - the filling is mixed up, the burger patties formed, and then they are chilled for a bit before grilling.  This allows the cheese to firm up, thereby keeping the stuffing inside the patties versus oozing out all over the place.  It also provides you with a great make-ahead dinner.  I actually prepped the burgers early in the afternoon, and then when it was time to eat, just threw them on the grill while I cooked the sides (green salad and grilled corn on the cob, by the way).

We all absolutely loved these burgers, and I know they'll make many repeat appearances on our (outside) dinner table this summer.  If you're planning to grill out for Father's Day, these would be a great option - a little fancier than your everyday burger, but well -- it's still a burger.  And who wouldn't love a burger stuffed with cheese?

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Hamburgers
adapted from All Fired Up, by the editors of Southern Living
makes 4 burgers

• 2 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1 Tbs grated onion or shallot
• 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (preferably 80/20 fat content)
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Stir together the cream cheese, blue cheese, onion, mustard, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, gently combine the ground beef with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.  Shape the mixture into 8 (4-inch) patties and arrange in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Spoon 1/4 of the cheese mixture onto each of 4 of the patties.  Top with the remaining 4 patties, pressing and pinching the edges to seal.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to several hours.

To grill the burgers, prepare the grill to medium-high heat (350 to 400 degrees Farenheit.  Brush the grates with oil and grill the patties 6 to 7 minutes per side, flipping once.  

Serve on toasted buns with your choice of accompaniments.  I loved this simply with arugula - the burgers were juicy, and the stuffing provided plenty of flavor without the need for additional condiments.

Bacon-Blue Cheese Dip

Two ingredients that immediately make me want to make a recipe.  Bacon.  Blue Cheese.  Combine the two?  It is sure to be a hit.  This dip was a wonderful snack (err ... dinner) for us the night we decorated our house for Christmas.  Warm, cheesey, bacon-y... and it was equally good once it had cooled to room temperature.  It also comes together quite quickly, and can be prepped in advance.  So when it's time to serve, just pop it in the oven for a few minutes, and you're good to go!

If you are still looking for a quick and easy appetizer for your Christmas dinner, or if you are a planner and you're already putting together a menu for New Year's Eve, this is a great choice. 


Bacon-Blue Cheese Dip
adapted from Southern Living, December 2004

• 7 slices bacon, chopped (preferably thick-cut, applewood smoked bacon)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened (reduced fat is fine)
• 1/3 cup half-and-half, heavy cream, or Greek yogurt
• 4 oz crumbled blue cheese
• 2 Tbs chopped fresh chives
• salt and pepper to taste
• grapes, for serving
• crackers, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the bacon in a skillet until browned and crispy.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.  Pour off all but about 1 tsp fat, and add the garlic.  Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add the bacon (reserve a small amount for garnish), garlic, half-and-half, blue cheese, and chives.  Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon into a lightly greased serving dish, and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.  Garnish with reserved bacon and allow to cool slightly before serving.  Serve with grapes and crackers.

Blue Cheese Cheesecake with Pear-Onion Jam

Cheesecake is one of my all-time favorite desserts.  Classic cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, fruity cheesecake, carrot cheesecake, gingerbread cheesecake, red velvet cheesecake... I've made them all and loved them all.  And while I have seen several recipes for savory cheesecakes, they've always seemed a little too "out there" for me.  I feel like having an unappetizing cheesecake is terrible because let's face it - a cheesecake is huge, and that is a lot of food going to waste.  So I've always shied away from them, even though I was intrigued.

That is, until a few weeks ago.  Some of the women on my street get together every so often for girls' night; we all bring appetizers and drinks, and basically we sit around and gossip and chat until the wee hours of the night.  Our most recent night however, posed a small dilemma.  We were going to be at Georgia Tech all day tailgating and going to a football game, so we weren't expecting to be home in time for me to spend a lot of time making a dish.  Therefore, I wanted to have something that I could make ahead of time.  I searched and searched for something that appealed to me and that would appeal to my friends (who all LOVE food, so I didn't want to do something plain or generic).  Finally I stumbled upon this blue cheese cheesecake.  Jackpot!

I bought a really nice blue cheese from Whole Foods since it played such a starring role.  As the cake baked, I prepared the pear-onion jam, then I refrigerated both components separately.  The end result was so delicious.  The pungent blue cheese flavor was definitely prominent, but was contrasted nicely by the tangy cream cheese and sweet pear-onion jam.  There are so many adaptations as well.  Use goat cheese instead of blue cheese, replace the asiago with parmesan, use gruyere... and as for the jam, fig-onion jam would be lovely, as would a jam of apples.  I absolutely loved this, and couldn't resist snacking on it all night long. 

Luckily, we ended up having so much food that there was enough leftover for me to put out a big wedge as an appetizer for our Fake Thanksgiving dinner the next day.  Served with crackers and apple slices, this makes a great appetizer for nibbling, and I think it would make an absolutely lovely addition to a cheese tray as well. 


Blue Cheese Cheesecake with Pear-Onion Jam
adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
• 6 ounces Asiago cheese, shredded
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9-inch springform pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese, asiago, and blue cheese until smooth and creamy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the cream and pepper and mix to combine. 

Pour the mixture into the springform pan and bake uncovered, in a water bath, until browned on top and barely set in the center, 45 to 50 minutes.  Cool completely and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.


Pear-Onion Jam

• 4 cups onions, diced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 cups peeled and chopped pears
• 2 Tbs raspberry or pear vinegar
• 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• pinch cayenne pepper

Saute onions in the oil over medium heat until softened and browned. Reduce heat and cook an addtional 10-15 minutes, until they are beginning to caramelize.  Add the pears, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, and cayenne.  Cook until pears are slightly softened but still crisp. 

Using a slotted spoon, remove the pears and onions from the skillet into a medium bowl, leaving behind as much of the liquid as possible.  Increase heat to medium and cook until the mixture has thickened into a glaze.  Mix into the pears and onions, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, pour the pear-onion jam over the cheesecake, then remove the sides of the springform pan.  Serve with crackers, bread, or apple slices.

BB: Blue Cheese Souffle

The second recipe for October was chosen by Summer of Sexy Apartment. I was both excited and nervous to try this recipe. I have seen the episode where she cooks it, and every time I see it I vow to make it. Thanks to Summer for forcing me!

It really wasn't very difficult, and the results were outstanding! I used a good Roquefort, since the blue cheese is the main flavor...you've gotta go for the good stuff! I also think this would be equally delicious with goat cheese, sharp cheddar, or gruyere.

I served this as the main course with a side salad. My favorite salad for fall is mixed greens, sliced pears, toasted walnuts, and dried cranberries, tossed with a raspberry vinaigrette. I usually add some blue cheese, feta, or goat cheese, but I figured the souffle had enough cheese for the whole meal :-)

I was so nervous about making a souffle that I followed Ina's instructions to the letter. Therefore, I am just going to link to the recipe instead of posting it here.

Blue Cheese Souffle
Barefoot in Paris