Strawberry cheesecake-filled bunnies

I filled hollow chocolate bunnies with delicious strawberry cheesecake. I used both fresh and freeze-dried strawberries for maximum flavor. Everything goes in the blender which makes it super easy. You can fill the bunnies by cutting off the ears or by making a small hole on its underside. I like cutting the ears so guests can see the filling. 

Strawberry cheesecake-filled bunnies

Yield: Makes enough filling for 7 (3.5 ounce) chocolate bunnies

Time: 10 minutes active, 3 hours waiting

Ingredients

• Hollow chocolate bunnies
• 0.5 pounds strawberries, hulled
• 60 grams (1/2 cup) confectioners' sugar
• 0.5 ounces freeze-dried strawberries
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 ounces coconut cream
• 4 ounces sour cream
• 3.5 grams (1/2 packet) unflavored gelatin
• 2 Tablespoons cold water

Directions

1. Heat sharp paring knife under warm water. Cut off bunnies' ears as close to top as possible.
2. Add strawberries to blender and puree until smooth. Pour puree into another bowl and set aside.
3. Blend confectioners' sugar and freeze-dried strawberries. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth, scraping sides as needed.
4. Add coconut cream and blend several minutes on high speed until fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add sour cream. Return strawberry puree to blender and mix just until combined.
5. Sprinkle gelatin over water and bloom for 5 minutes, or until gelatin has absorbed all water.
6. Microwave gelatin for 30 seconds, stirring every 10 seconds. It should look like clear liquid. Slowly add into blender mixture on low speed.
7. Use funnel to pour cheesecake mixture into cavity of hollow chocolate bunnies.
8. Transfer bunnies to refrigerator in upright position. Allow cheesecake mixture to set for several hours before serving.

Breakfast taco casserole

I'm talking about "spring cleaning" your refrigerator in this bloig post. Many of us are guilty of keeping random open containers in our refrigerator for far too long because we only use half the jar and then forget about it. Or we let produce expire because we forget about it until we find it hiding in the crisper drawer two weeks too late.

I read an article by Epicurious titled "11 Things That Have Been in Your Fridge Too Long." Included in the list are several things I usually have on hand: yogurt, salsa, cheese, and eggs. 

So I created a recipe to clear out my refrigerator and use ingredients I've had far too long. I came up with a breakfast taco casserole.

Here's what I cleared from my refrigerator to use in the recipe:

Salsa: Last about 2-4 weeks

Sour cream: Lasts about 3 weeks 

Greek yogurt: Lasts about 1 to 2 weeks

Cooked beans: Last 3-4 days

Cooked meat: Lasts about 3 days

Blocks of cheese: Cheddar, mozzarella, and pepper jack last 4 to 6 weeks max

I included substitution options in italics next to the ingredients because, as I previously mentioned, there are a lot of options for substitutions because I want to help you clean out your refrigerator.

Breakfast taco casserole

Yield: 12 servings

Time: About 90 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound Mexican chorizo (you can substitute with chicken, beef, pork, or omit for vegetarian casserole)
• 1 yellow onion, small dice (about 6 ounces)
• 1 red or green bell pepper, small dice (about 4 ounces)
• 1 (16-ounce) jar salsa (you can substitute with diced or crushed tomatoes)
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (you can substitute with pinto beans or refried beans)
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (you can substitute with frozen corn)
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chile powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 corn tortillas, halved
• 12 ounces (3 cups) cheddar cheese, shredded (you can substitute with pepper jack or omit to make it dairy free)
• Optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, Greek yogurt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
2. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook until browned, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. 
3. Use slotted spoon to remove chorizo and transfer to plate.
4. Add onion and pepper to skillet and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in salsa, beans, corn, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and black pepper. Saute until mixture is combined and fragrant. Remove skillet from heat and stir in chorizo.
6. In separate bowl, whisk eggs until well-beaten.
7. Lay half of the tortillas in even layer on bottom of baking dish. Top with half of sausage mixture, half of egg mixture, and half of cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, sausage mixture, eggs, and cheese.
8. Cover baking dish with foil and bake 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and not jiggly. Remove from oven.
9. Let cool 10 minutes before serving with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, and whatever else you desire.

Irish brown soda bread with dill sauce and salmon

 

Other than potatoes, nothing is more synonymous with Irish food than brown bread. It's served with most every meal for most every occasion. Filled with whole grains and oats, it's a healthy bread to serve your family and perfect for St. Patrick's Day.

Brown bread is a "quick bread," which means it doesn't have yeast. Its leavening comes from baking soda and buttermilk, hence the name "soda bread." Soda breads became popular in Ireland when baking soda was introduced in the 19th century because it was cheaper than yeast.

Here are some tips to ensuring your bread turns out well:

• Make sure your baking soda is still active by adding 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to a couple tablespoons of vinegar. The mixture should fizz. You need to buy new baking soda if it doesn't.
• Use weight to get precise ingredient measurements.s
• Do not over mix. It will make the quick bread tough. Mix the wet ingredients separately from the dry ingredients and combine the two only to the point that the dry ingredients are moistened.
• Grease the loaf pan really, really well. The bottom has a tendency to stick.
• Baking soda activates as soon as it's mixed with an acid, so the bread needs to be put in the oven immediately.

The bread is often served with dill sauce and gravlax as an appetizer, but lox or smoked salmon work just as well. Curious about the difference. Here is a great explanation.

Irish brown soda bread with dill sauce and salmon

Yield: 1 loaf, about 12 slices

Time: About 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the bread

• 150 grams whole wheat flour
• 100 grams rolled oats
• 4 grams (1 teaspoon) baking soda
• 3 grams (1/2 teaspoon) kosher salt
• 240 milliliters (1 1/4 cups) buttermilk
• 30 grams (2 Tablespoons) molasses
• 28 grams (2 Tablespoons) melted butter, cooled

For the dill sauce

• 30 grams (2 Tablespoons) dijon mustard
• 30 grams (2 Tablespoons) sour cream
• 15 grams (1 Tablespoon) whole grain mustard
• 15 milliliters (1 Tablespoon) white wine vinegar
• 5 grams (1 teaspoon) molasses
• 20 grams shallot, minced
• 10 grams fresh dill fronds, minced
• For serving: lox, gravlax, or smoked salmon

Directions

For the bread

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease an 8½ x 4½ x 2½-inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. In large bowl, mix flour, oats, salt, and baking soda.
3. In separate bowl, mix buttermilk, molasses, and melted butter.
4. Make well in center of flour mixture, and pour buttermilk mixture into well
5. Gently mix dry and wet ingredients together, being careful not to overmix.
6. Scrape dough into bread pan and smooth top. Pan will be filled halfway.
7. Place in oven and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until internal temperature registers around 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from pan and cool on rack.

For the dill sauce

1. Mix both mustards and sour cream. Mix in vinegar and molasses. Add shallot and dill fronds.
2. Serve by spreading layer of dill sauce onto slice of brown bread. Top with salmon slices.

Curried Shepherd's Pie

 

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible! 

I'm celebrating Pi Day with one of my favorite one-dish comfort foods that's also perfect for a St. Patrick's Day celebration. Curried Shepherd's Pie combines warm spiced with a fluffy, creamy topping. It's also a great recipe to serve babies if you omit the salt.

Tip: Before you stick the skillet under the broiler, dot the top with butter. After about 5 minutes, the butter will brown and you can mix it into the sweet potatoes before sticking it back under the broiler to finish.

I'm not a registered dietitian, so it isn't my place to advise you on whether to feed your baby recipes containing butter. But everything I've read says it's okay as long as you choose unsalted butter with minimal ingredients, preferably just cream. That's why I only use Challenge unsalted butter. It's 100% real cream butter made with milk from cows not treated with growth hormones.

Curried Shepherd's Pie

Yield: Makes about 8 servings

Time: About 90 minutes

Ingredients

For the topping

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Challenge unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the filling

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground lamb (or ground beef)
• 8 ounces yellow onion, small dice
• 4 ounces carrot, small dice
• 4 ounces celery, small dice
• 2 Tablespoons curry powder
• 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 14.5 ounces no salt added crushed tomatoes
• 8 ounces frozen peas
• 8 ounces frozen corn kernels

Directions

For the topping

1. Roast sweet potatoes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for about 60 minutes. 
2. Peel away skins and place potatoes in large bowl. Add salt and pepper. Mash until all ingredients are mixed together. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. This can be done up to a day in advance.

For the filling

1. While sweet potatoes cook, heat oil in large skillet and brown meat over medium-low heat. Use wooden spatula to break meat into smaller pieces and continue to cook until no longer pink.
2. Remove meat from skillet and place in paper towel-lined bowl.
3. Add mirepoix to skillet and cook until softened. 
4. Add curry powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, and black pepper and saute with mirepoix until it is coated in spice mixture. 
5. Add tomato paste and continue cooking until it turns from bright to brick red.
6. Add crushed tomatoes and return meat to skillet. Simmer on low for about 10 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add frozen peas and corn to skillet and cook until vegetables soften, about another 10 minutes.
7. Remove skillet from heat and preheat broiler.
8. Add mashed sweet potatoes to skillet and smooth. Add thin slices of butter to top.
9. Place mixture under broiler until butter turns brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from oven and stir butter into potatoes.
10. Smooth top and return to broiler. Continue to cook until top turns golden brown.
11. Remove from oven and serve.

Tuna burgers 2 ways with wasabi slaw

Many people abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent, so I wanted to share a burger recipe that uses fish instead of beef. This ahi tuna mushroom burger uses is full of flavor, not overly fishy tasting, and has a very similar texture to beef burgers. 

Fresh vs. Frozen vs. Canned

You can use either one of these options for this recipe, although the canned tuna recipe is slightly different.

I think there's a common misconception that fresh fish is better than frozen fish, but that is not true. In fact, unless you live 50 miles from the ocean, frozen tuna is actually better because it is flash frozen onboard the fishing boat. You just have to make sure you safely thaw the fish.

Canned tuna is a great cost-effective option. It has the same nutritional value as fresh or frozen tuna. You just have to make sure there's been no salt added. Also, look for "pole-and-line-caught" on the label, which is a more sustainable and enviormentally-friendly practice.

I realize some people don't like the taste of canned tuna, but I honestly can't tell much of a difference in taste in this burger recipe. My husband can vouch for that, too. You'll notice there's a slight difference between the ahi tuna burger recipe and the canned tuna burger recipe. That's because the canned tuna doesn't pack together as well as the ahi tuna, so it needs binders in the form of pank bread crumbs and eggs.

Let's talk about mushrooms

Did you know mushrooms are 50% water? In order to get a more concentrated umami flavor, you have to evaporate the water out. The easiest way to do that is by roasting the mushrooms, which is the first step of this recipe. Also, if you don't first roast the mushrooms, the water content may cause your burgers to fall apart.

Wasabi slaw

This slaw is packed with flavor, thanks in part to a little bit of wasabi. I found wasabi paste at my local grocery store. I think it really is the key to the slaw recipe. But if you don't like wasabi or if you can't find it, just omit it. Although I must admit I'll be a little sad.

 Ahi Tuna Mushroom Burger

Yield: Makes about 8, 3-inch burgers

Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients

For the burgers

• 16 ounces mushrooms, sliced (baby bella, white, or shiitake work well)
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 2 Tablespoons red curry paste
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound ahi tuna, minced

For the slaw

• 1 teaspoon wasabi paste (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

For the burgers

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray. Spread mushrooms in single layer on baking sheets.
2. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
3. Place garlic and shallot in food processor and pulse until minced.
4. Add cooled mushrooms, red curry paste, salt, and black pepper. Pulse until mushrooms resemble ground beef. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
5. Combine mixture with ahi tuna.
6. Set 3-inch ring on plate and fill ring with mixture. Remove ring and continue process.
7. Place tuna patties in freezer for about 20 minutes.
8. Heat nonstick skillet over medium heat and prepare with a little oil.
9. Add burgers to pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side.
10. Place on bun if desired.

For the slaw

1. Combine wasabi paste, Greek yogurt, and lime juice.
2. Stir in the cabbage and cilantro.
3. Top tuna burger with slaw.

Canned tuna mushroom burger

Yield: Makes about 8, 3-inch burgers

Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients

For the burgers

• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (baby bella, white, or shiitake work well)
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 2 Tablespoons red curry paste
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• 16 ounces canned tuna in water, drained

For the slaw

• 1 teaspoon wasabi paste (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

For the burgers

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray. Spread mushrooms in single layer on baking sheets.
2. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
3. Place garlic and shallot in food processor and pulse until minced.
4. Add cooled mushrooms, red curry paste, salt, and black pepper. Pulse until mushrooms resemble ground beef. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
5. Add eggs and tuna to food processor and pulse until combined.
6. Set 3-inch ring on plate and fill ring with mixture. Remove ring and continue process.
7. Place tuna patties in freezer for about 20 minutes.
8. Heat nonstick skillet over medium heat and prepare with a little oil.
9. Add burgers to pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side.
10. Place on bun if desired.

For the slaw

1. Combine wasabi paste, Greek yogurt, and lime juice.
2. Stir in the cabbage and cilantro.
3. Top tuna burger with slaw.

Easy Bananas Foster King Cake

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible! 

Tuesday is Mardi Gras in New Orleans, also known as Fat Tuesday. It is the culmination of Carnival season, which kicks off on January 6 every year (Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day). Many people in Indianapolis (which is 800 miles from New Orleans, by the way) don't take it seriously. They may celebrate by indulging in southern food and sweets, but that's the extent of it. In contrast, southerners celebrate throughout the entirety of Carnival season with dozens of parades, many gatherings, lots of alcohol, and indulgent foods—including king cake. 

King cake isn't just a one-day treat. Bakeries in New Orleans have been selling king cakes since January.  So if you haven't had your king cake fix yet, I have just the solution for you. I'm making bananas foster king cake with store-bought puff pastry. I wanted to combine a classic New Orleans dessert with a classic Mardi Gras dessert.

Most bakers make king cakes with brioche dough, which is an enriched sweet bread, and fill them with either cinnamon and sugar or a cream cheese mixture. So my version definitely isn't "traditional." But it's important to point out the king cakes we see today are very different now than they were even just a few decades ago. And if you visit New Orleans during Carnival season, you'll find king cakes in dozens of different flavor combinations.

I used Challenge Unsalted Butter to make this king cake. Challenge Unsalted Butter is 100% real cream butter—nothing artificial or synthetic. I recommend using unsalted butter when baking so you can have complete control over the salt level in the recipe.

Easy Bananas Foster King Cake

Yield: 12 servings

Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 2 Tablespoons Challenge unsalted butter, melted
• 1 Tablespoon rum (or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract)
• 1 teaspoon banana extract (you can substitute vanilla extract)
• 100 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
• 15 grams (2 Tablespoons) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 2 Tablespoons pecans, chopped
• 1 banana, peeled and sliced thin

For the icing

• 115 grams (1 cup) powdered sugar
• 1/8 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Yellow, green, and purple food coloring or yellow, green, and purple sprinkles

Directions

For the cake

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bring puff pastry to room temperature. Cut it down the middle lengthwise in two equal pieces.
2. Mix butter, rum, extract, sugar, flour, cinnamon, cardamom, and pecans. Fold in banana pieces.
3. Spread half of the mixture on one half of the puff pastry sheet and the rest of the mixture on the other half.
4. Roll up each puff pastry piece from the long edges like a log. Place the two pieces side-by-side and twist one over the other to form a rope.
5. Transfer the twisted puff pastry onto the parchment paper and shape it into an oval. Pinch ends together.
6. Bake 30 - 35 minutes until golden brown on top and cooked through. Set aside to cook.

For the icing

1. Combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. Icing should be thick but pourable. 
2. (Skip this part if you choose to use sprinkles.) Divide icing into three bowls. Color with yellow, green, and purple food coloring. 
3. Pour icing over cooled king cake. (Skip this part if you choose to use food coloring.) Decorate with sprinkles. Allow icing to set.
4. Slice and serve.

Buffalo ranch mini pretzel dogs

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible! 

Pretzel dogs make for a delicious Super Bowl snack, and you won’t believe how easy they are to make. I use store-bough refrigerated pizza dough in this recipe because it is almost identical to pretzel dough. The only difference is the hydration levels. You probably wouldn’t be able to tell a difference if they were side-by-side. 

But the real key to making homemade pretzels is a lye bath. Lye is what makes a pretzel a pretzel and not just a baked piece of dough.

What is lye?

Lye, which is also known as sodium hydroxide is an alkaline compound that boosts flavorful browning by accelerating the Maillard reaction and caramelizing sugars on the outside of the dough as it bakes. The stronger the alkali, the better the results. Lye is a very strong alkali with a pH of 14. 

Some people use baking soda if they’re uncomfortable using lye. Baking soda has a pH around 8.3. That’s a big difference. That’s why it doesn’t work nearly as well as lye. Baking soda pretzels are lighter in color and flavor.

Where can I find lye?

You can find lye online. Here is the lye I use.

What are safety tips for working with lye?

Lye is poisonous and must be handled with extreme caution. The lye solution we’re working with is very diluted, but it can still cause skin irritation. That’s why you should always wear gloves and long sleeves when working with lye, and don’t touch anything that has been in contact with the solution.

Add lye to the water, don’t add water to the lye.

Keep the solution away from pets and children. 

How do you give the pretzel dogs buffalo ranch flavor?

Brushing the pretzel dogs with Challenge Buffalo Snack Spread right after they come out of the oven is the key to delicious buffalo flavor. If you can find the snack spread, you can mix a little buffalo sauce with softened butter. Then I rolled the pretzel dogs around in ranch seasoning. It's that easy! One thing I learned is to add the butter and seasoning after it's done baking because otherwise the seasoning may burn in the oven. 

Buffalo ranch mini pretzel dogs

Yield: Makes 42 mini pretzels

Time: About 90 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound pizza dough, room temperature
• 1 (14 oz) package mini smoked sausages (or 10 hot dogs or sausages, cut in fourths)
• 1 quart cold water
• 1 ounce food-grade lye* (see notes for how to substitute baking soda)
• 4 Tablespoons Challenge Buffalo Snack Spread, melted (can substitute 3 Tablespoons softened butter plus 1 Tablespoon buffalo sauce)
• 2 Tablespoons ranch seasoning
• Also helpful: Spray bottle filled with water**

Directions

1. Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and grab large slotted spoon. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Divide dough into 8 pieces so it’s easier to work with.
4. Roll one of the pieces into a long rope and tightly wrap it around mini smoke sausage. Once the sausage is covered, cut the dough from the rest of the rope and press down the end so the seam is smooth. Place sausage on one baking sheet.
5. Continue to wrap dough around sausages until you run out of dough. Place all wrapped sausages onto same baking sheet.
6. Put on clean food safe gloves, grab large slotted spoon, and clear work surface.
7. Pour water into large glass or stainless steel bowl. Add lye to water and stir until lye is dissolved.
8. Use slotted spoon to carefully lower several pretzel dogs into lye bath. Push down pretzel dogs with back of spoon so they’re fully submerged. 
9. Remove with slotted spoon after 10 seconds. Allow excess lye solution to drip off before sliding onto baking sheet.
10. Continue process until all of the pretzel dogs have been dipped in lye bath.
11. Rearrange the pretzel dogs so they’re about 1 inch apart using both baking sheets if necessary.
12. Remove gloves and sprinkle each pretzel dog with flaky sea salt.
13. Bake for about 10 minutes or until pretzel dogs are dark, glossy brown.
14. Immediately after removing pretzel dogs from oven, brush with Challenge Buffalo Snack Spread and cover in ranch seasoning.

NOTES

*Use extreme caution when handling lye solution. Always wear gloves. It can cause skin irritation if not handled correctly. Keep the solution away from pets and children. Dispose of the lye bath immediately after you’ve finished using it. You can pour it down the drain. If you cannot find lye here is how you substitute with baking soda: Bring 6 cups water and 2 Tablespoons baking soda to a boil. Submerge pretzels into baking soda bath for 1 minute. Remove with slotted spoon and place on baking sheet.

**I like to use a spray bottle with water to wet the dough a bit before rolling it into a rope. I also spritz the parchment paper so the dough doesn’t stick to it.

Beer cheese dip

Yield: Makes about 2 cups

Time: About 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 ounces Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
• 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 ounces IPA beer

Directions

1. Heat Velveeta in small saucepan. 
2. Once cheese is mostly melted, add mustard and Worcestershire sauce and stir until combine.
3. Slowly pour in beer and continue to stir until cheese is completely melted.
4. Serve warm.