Brie, Ham, Apple Grilled Cheese with Whole Grain Mustard

Tags

apple, brie, fall, grilled cheese, ham, sandwich, whole grain mustard

I made these little sandwiches to accompany some Sketch-Free Broccoli Cheese Soup (recipe to follow). I love fresh apples but sometimes struggle to find savory ways to use them. Be sure to use a tart apple with a firm texture. You really want a punch of flavor and a good crunch when you bite into this delicious sandwich.

Brie, Ham, Apple Grilled Cheese with Whole Grain Mustard

• 4 slices good bread (think sourdough, etc)
• 4 ounces of sliced ham
• 4 ounces of sliced Brie
• 1/2 apple, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp whole grain mustard
• Butter

Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place two slices of the bread, butter side down in a non-stick skillet. Layer each sandwich in this order – 2 oz ham, 2 oz brie, 1/4 apple, 1 tbsp whole grain mustard. Top each sandwich with the last slice of bread. Grill until browned on each side and the cheese is melted. Serves 2.

Peppered Brie

Tags

appetizer, brie, cheese, food, peppered, umami

I love brie. Who doesn’t? This brie is special. It’s rind is studded with cracked pepper. Imagine spicy creamy umami.

There are so many great uses for this brie. Besides as a delicious appetizer.

Mixed Mushroom and Brie Sliders with Balsamic Reduction

Brie, Basil, Bacon and Blue Grilled Cheese

Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Brie Grilled Cheese

Mixed Mushroom and Brie Sliders with Balsamic Reduction

Tags

balsamic, brie, food, mushrooms, sandwiches, sliders, vegetarian, vinegar

These slicers came together only by accident. The mushrooms, brie, and rolls were all on sale at my local Kroger. They just seemed to be just too good a deal to pass up. And too good a combination to ignore.

Mixed Mushroom and Brie Sliders with Balsamic Reduction

• 8 oz mixed mushrooms (mine had oyster, shiitake, and criminis)
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 or 3 slices of brie
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 crusty dinner rolls

In a skillet, saute mushrooms to tenderness. Set aside and saute onion until browning but not burning. In the same skillet, reduce the vinegar to half. Split the dinner rolls and layer the mushrooms, onions, and brie. Dress each sandwich with the balsamic reduction. Serves 1.

Baked Brie with Mushrooms and Onions

Tags

appetizer, baked, brie, celebrate, food, holiday, mushrooms, new years, onions

I love brie. The umami flavor is one of my favorites. Combined with the mushrooms, onions, garlic and wine, this cheese appetizer is divine. I love that it does not include puff pastry or the like. With this recipe, the flavors shine through, unencumbered by extra breading.

Baked Brie with Mushrooms and Onions

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 small wheel of brie
• 1 baguette, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in a pan. Saute onions until clear and starting to brown. Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Saute until mushrooms are tender. Add wine and deglaze the pan. Cook until most of the juices are reduced. In a small oven safe dish, place the wheel of brie. Top with the mushrooms mixture. Bake for approx 10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve with slices of baguette.

Champignon Mushroom Brie

Tags

appetizer, brie, Champignon, cheese, German, mushrooms

It’s been a while since I have profiled a cheese. This one was worth the wait. If you like the umami flavor, you certainly will like this cheese. Champignon German Brie with Mushrooms is a double cream, soft-ripened cheese studded by mushrooms. It is best served at room temperature to allow all those flavors to come out. I like mine on a good crusty bread with some nice olives and an adult beverage as accompaniment.

I have discovered that I can get cheese on sale late at night at my local Kroger. I managed to get a wedge of this cheese for $4.50 (half off). I enjoy this cheese enough to buy it all full price though. It would be a great addition to any cheese plate for that next fancy party you throw.

Fleurs de France Brie

Tags

brie, cheese, food details, fromage

I love good Brie. It is so creamy and decadent with that good umami flavor that I seem to crave. Supposedly American brie is significantly different than French brie. It has something to do with the type/amount of mold used in making the cheese. Who knew? I have never been to France but I can’t wait to see if this theory is true. (For an interesting cheese article, go here.)

I purchased Fleurs de France brie at a local chain grocery. Though not a place where I normally expect to find good cheese, this brie was very nice.

I ate it plain and on the Brie, Basil, Bacon and Blue Grilled Cheese featured here about a week ago.

It was different that other brie that I have had in the past (not that I have had that many). It had the typical Brie flavor, accented by chives and parsley. The herby-ness was subtle but very nice.

The rind and color of the cheese were similar to other bries. I did note that the cheese was slightly firmer than other brie. That oozy cheese in the very center of the wheel was notably less. That is not necessarily a bad thing. It held up very nicely for my sandwich. It would be a good cheese to use in a savory appetizer using brie.

This cheese was about $13 per pound, making it a reasonably priced specialty cheese.

Brie, Basil, Bacon and Blue Grilled Cheese

Tags

bacon, blue, brie, cheese, food, grilled, sandwich

Everybody loves a good grilled cheese. This one is special- two cheeses, bacon, basil. How can it get any better? These flavors together are unusual but work very well. I used a baguette with whole garlic cloves baked in. This added an extra punch too. Next time you are wondering what to fix for lunch, try this recipe. It is sure to wake up your boring lunch routine.

Brie, Basil, Bacon, and Blue Grilled Cheese

• 4 slices of French baguette
• 4 small slices of Brie cheese
• Crumbles of blue cheese
• 4 fresh basil leaves
• 4 strips cooked bacon
• Butter

Butter one side of each piece of bread. In a non-stick skillet, construct your sandwich. Layer in this order- bacon, Brie, blue cheese, and basil. Top with another piece of bread. Grill until each side is golden brown and the cheese is melty.

Make small two sandwiches.

 

Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Brie Grilled Cheese

Tags

brie, cheese, food, grilled cheese, mushrooms

This sandwich is absolutely divine! Everything about it is perfect. It takes a little time to create it but that time is well spent. I can’t wait to make this again! Thanks to BS in the Kitchen for this recipe. I can never repay you for the beauty you have brought to my palate. 🙂

Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Brie Grilled Cheese

• 4 slices French bread
• Brie cheese
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 5 mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup concentrated beef broth
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• Flour
• Butter
• Salt & Pepper

In a non-stick skillet, melt two tablespoons of butter on medium heat. Add the onion, stir to coat them with the butter. Stir periodically after that, allowing them to brown, but not burn. After about 15 minutes, turn down the heat to medium-low. Add the mushrooms, garlic, more butter, salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of flour over the mixture and stir. Gradually add small amounts of the beef broth, allowing the broth to reduce before adding more.

When the entire amount of broth is added and reduced, butter the two slices of bread. Layer one slice of bread, desired amount of Brie, desired amount of mushroom mixture, desired amount of Brie, and top with one slice of bread. Grill the sandwich, browning on each side. Serve immediately. Makes 2 sandwiches.