Potatoes au Gratin with Asiago Cheese and Sage

A dish of Potatoes au Gratin is the ultimate comfort food, especially on these cool winter nights. We love this version made with winter sage and nutty Asiago cheese. Pair it with just about any protein, or a fresh salad and bread and butter, and dinner will be ready to go!

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Potatoes au Gratin with Asiago Cheese and Sage
Serves 4- 6

Ingredients:

2-1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced with a mandoline
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 yellow onions, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup half-n-half
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 cups freshly grated Asiago cheese, divided
10-12 sage leaves, finely chopped, divided
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13" oven-safe baking dish.

2. Prepare the potatoes by washing, peeling, and thinly slicing them with a mandoline into 1/8" thick slices.

3. In a large Dutch oven, or saucepan, over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter and add the diced onion. Sauté the onion until translucent and lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the flour and whisk until the onion-garlic mix is evenly coated. Stir continuously for another 1-2 minutes to cook the raw flour.

4. Stir in the half-n-half, whole milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until well-blended. Do not boil. Stir in half of the Asiago cheese (3/4 cup) and half of the chopped sage leaves. Cook until the cheese melts. Remove from the heat.

5. Spread a thin layer of the sliced potatoes on the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon the sauce mixture over the top of the potatoes. With the back of a spoon or spatula, spread some sauce to coat the first layer. Repeat this process, adding new layers of potatoes and sauce until all the potatoes and sauce are used. Finish the layering by ending with potatoes on top.

6. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining Asiago cheese, sage, and bread crumbs, and toss until combined. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle over the breadcrumb mixture, tossing to coat. Evenly sprinkle the mixture over the potatoes.

7. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, or foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil or lid and continue to bake for another 10 minutes, or until the top turns nicely golden brown, and the sides also begin to brown. Serve while hot.

Roasted Brown Butter Squash with Nuts, Dates, and Crispy Herbs

This beautiful squash medley is a wonderful combination of creamy and caramelized textures, and savory and sweet flavors. A colorful mix of butternut, acorn, and delicata squash are sliced and roasted, then smothered in nutty, brown butter for a warming fall recipe. Topped with chewy dates, toasty nuts, and crispy herbs — prepare to devour this dish!

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Roasted Brown Butter Squash with Nuts, Dates, and Crispy Herbs
Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:

3 lbs acorn squash, delicata squash, butternut squash, or a mix of all three
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts
6 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, stems removed, washed and patted dry
1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves, stems removed, washed and patted dry
Large flake salt (like Maldon)
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Scrub the squash well. If the butternut squash is young and small, the peel may be left on (the delicata and acorn squash rind may be left on). Otherwise, peel the butternut squash, slice all the squash in half and remove all seeds and loose pulp. Slice into 1/2" thick half moons. Place sliced squash on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast, turning once until the pieces are browned and caramelized, roughly 25-30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When the butter starts to foam, add the walnuts, pine nuts, sage leaves, and rosemary. Stir constantly until the butter begins to brown, the herbs begin to crisp, and the nuts begin to toast, roughly 5 minutes. Keep a watchful eye. Remove the sage leaves with tongs and place them on a paper towel- lined plate. Watch the butter carefully to ensure it does not burn. Remove the pan from heat when the butter turns golden brown. (This will all happen very quickly, so pay attention.)

4. Remove the mixture from the heat, and stir in the chopped dates, cinnamon, Aleppo pepper, and apple cider vinegar.

5. Drizzle the mixture over the roasted squash and top with the crispy sage, flake salt, and grated Pecorino Romano.

6. Serve with a simple pasta, or over sturdy kale, or alongside roasted greens.

Bacon, Cheddar, and Jalapeno Skillet Cornbread

This savory cornbread is packed with flavor! Add-ins of bacon, cheddar cheese, shallot, corn, and jalapeño peppers turn this not-so-average side dish into a feature dish. We recommend enjoying this extra-moist cornbread warm with a dab of butter and a drizzle of honey (or maybe some hot honey for a little extra kick)!

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Bacon, Cheddar, and Jalapeno Skillet Cornbread
Makes 8 wedges

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
1 jalapeño, one half sliced crosswise, one half diced
1-1/3 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup melted butter, plus
1 tablespoon, divided
1/2 cup plain unflavored Greek yogurt
1 large egg, beaten

Directions:

1. On the stove top, cook the bacon in a 10-inch cast iron skillet until crispy. Remove and let drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Once cooled, crumble or cut the bacon into bits. Wipe out the excess bacon grease from the pan.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat as the oven preheats.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper and whisk together until evenly combined. Fold into the flour mixture, the cooked bacon, corn kernels, shallot, grated cheese and diced jalapeño (save a handful of the cheese and the jalapeño slices for a top garnish on the batter).

4. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients together. Whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, yogurt, and egg together. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until just combined.

5. Use quality hot pads to remove the preheated cast iron skillet from the oven and melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the hot skillet. Immediately pour the cornbread batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the reserved jalapeño slices and grated cheese.

6. Bake the cornbread for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden. Serve warm, with butter and honey, or even hot honey for a little extra kick!

Saffron & Butternut Squash Risotto with Crispy Prosciutto

Creamy, and satisfying, this saffron and butternut squash risotto is topped off with crispy prosciutto and toasted pine nuts creating a dish that captures the essence of autumn flavors! The risotto becomes extra rich and creamy with the addition of roasted and pureed butternut squash.

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Saffron & Butternut Squash Risotto with Crispy Prosciutto
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, diced into 3/8" cubes
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
4-5 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon of saffron, or about 8 threads
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

1-2 oz prosciutto, cooked in a pan until crispy
Parmesan cheese

Risotto Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the diced butternut squash in a single layer on a large roasting pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle the squash with Kosher salt and pepper and roast for about 20-25 minutes or until fork tender. Stir and toss the squash halfway through the roasting process. Remove half of the squash and puree with a small food processor or immersion hand blender. Reserve the other half as cubes to be added to the finished risotto.

2. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, sauté the onions and garlic in a blend of 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil until translucent. Add the arborio rice and stir until coated. Then, add the white wine and continue to stir until it is fully absorbed.

3. Meanwhile, in a separate soup pot, bring the broth to a simmer and separate one cup of broth into a separate bowl or measuring cup. Add the saffron to the reserved broth to infuse flavor to the broth. Set aside.

4. Once the wine is absorbed into the rice, slowly add 1-2 ladles of broth to the pot of rice, starting with the saffron-infused broth; bring to a low simmer. Keep simmering and slowly add ladles of broth (one ladle at a time). Stir continuously, until the broth becomes absorbed.

5. While the risotto cooks, prepare the crispy prosciutto. In a large skillet or braiser, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and cook the prosciutto until crispy. Remove the prosciutto once crispy and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.

6. Continue cooking the risotto. Season with Kosher salt and pepper while stirring and adding the broth. Taste test the risotto often to ensure adequate amounts of salt and pepper are used, according to your taste. When the risotto is al dente, add 1 more ladle of the broth, stir, and turn the heat down to low.

7. Add the roasted, pureed squash and stir. Then, add the cubes of roasted squash. For a silky finish, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.

8. Serve hot. Garnish with the crispy prosciutto.