We wait all winter for the first crop of corn on the cob. So many months go by, that I tend forget how to grill it.

Did I grill it in the husk or out of the husk? Should I cook it first before I put it on the grill. Should I keep it in the husk, or warp it in foil?

Sometimes corn is so fresh and tender, it doesn’t even need butter.

Sometimes you want to make the corn a little more special by adding flavor and fat. Whichever method you use, make sure your corn is as fresh as possible. Corn loses flavor as it ages, but fresh corn is sweet, so do try to buy local.



Before adding flavor, fat and spice, decide upon the method to grill corn. 

1. No Trouble Corn on the Grill – Throw the corn on the grill in the husk, unshucked. This will result in very sweet, tender, steamed corn. Grill 10 minutes. Husk will be very black, but corn should be steamed and perfect. Add butter and salt at the table.

2. Microwave – Wrap corn husk and hairs in a wet paper towel. Microwave for three minutes. Done.

3.  Tin Foil – This is an option if you don’t like charred corn. Shuck corn, clean and wrap in foil. You can butter or wait till after the corn is done.

4. Naked Corn – Grill directly with or without seasoning.

5. Semi-Naked Corn – Remove hairs, keep corn in husk and then grill for 10 minutes. (This is my favorite method).

It  takes about 10 minutes to get corn browned on a hot grill.

Grill Corn Seven Different Ways.

Once you have decided how to cook the corn, here are some ways to enhance the flavor.

1. Butter and Lime – Add lime zest and a squeeze of lime to softened butter. Mix together. Spread on corn. Grill 5 minutes on each side or until done to your liking. Season with salt and pepper. Lime does something magical to corn and you might want to add it to any of the variations below.

2. Steak Sauce, Butter, Lime- Use your favorite steak sauce. Mix even amounts with softened butter. Season as needed with salt and pepper. Grill corn 5 minutes on each side or until done.

3. Basil Pesto – rub pesto into the corn. Grill 10 minutes. You can put the pesto on the corn at the end as an option.

4. Bacon, Mayo, Chives, Parmesan Cheese – Rub corn with mayonnaise. Grill corn for ten minutes, turning after five minutes. Add bacon, chives and cheese before serving.

5. Cayenne, Butter, Lime. Make a mixture of butter, lime juice and cayenne pepper. Grill corn. Season with salt.

6. Smoked Paprika, Butter, Salt. Grill corn with a smoky flavor.

7. Butter and Salt – Traditional and if the corn is fresh, you really don’t need much.

You might love these summer corn recipes.

Grilled Corn & Tomato Salad

Fresh Corn Salad

Summer Chicken Soup

So tell me, what is YOUR favorite way to eat or grill corn on the cob?

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How to Cook Corn on the Cob

Corn on the cob can be microwaved, or grilled

Course Vegetable

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• corn on the cob

Instructions

microwave corn

• Wrap entire corn on the cob unshucked in wet paper towel and microwave for three minutes.

Grilled Corn

• For steamed-like corn, grill for ten minutes, turning once, in entire husk, unshucked.
• For charred corn, remove hair and return corn to husk and grill for then minutes. You can at this time add your butter or mayonnaise.
• For charred corn, you can put the corn out of husk, directly on grill for 10 minutes, turning at least once.

The post How to Grill Corn on the Cob Seven Different Ways appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

These are the perfect party deviled eggs loaded with cheddar, bacon, chives and if you feel it, add a dollop of sour cream.

I bought my first air fryer on Cyber Monday and I’ve used it almost every day, especially for bacon. The worst part of making bacon is the clean up and the air fryer makes this a snap. And the bacon makes deviled eggs better.

Use chopped scallions chopped finely if you don’t have chives.

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs 

The key to deviled eggs is making perfect hard boiled eggs that will easily peel and only be the color of yellow inside. In other words, not over-cooked with that dark ring around the yolk.

You can make your hard boiled eggs and peel them the day before to save time.

Make Perfect Easy to Peel Hard Boiled Eggs HERE

Once you have your perfect hard-boiled eggs,  mix your yolks with mustard and mayonnaise. This past year I’ve discovered Better Body mayonnaise and I love it so much, I have it delivered on a subscription basis from Amazon. It is made with avocado oil, not canola or other unhealthy oils.

It tastes amazing, and works perfectly in egg salad wraps  and rosemary chicken salad.

When you’re ready to make them, decide if you want to cut them across or long ways. I like them both ways.

I think mustard is important to the mayonnaise mixture. You can add in a little dill if you love dill, and season well with salt and pepper. I like to top my eggs with a sharp shredded cheddar and crunchy bacon.

You cannot believe how much bacon adds to the bite of a good deviled egg. I like to garnish with a little color and that’s where chives, or scallions come in. If you are taking these to a party, I’d probably use chives. If you have fresh chives, all the better.

Tips for Presenting the Best Deviled Egg Recipe

Deviled eggs are slippery. I salt the bottom of the serving dish or deviled egg plate and paper towel off any moisture on the egg white. The salt helps to add a little extra flavor. Use a piping bag to fill each egg, which makes it much easier.

Garnish with cheese and bacon, chives or scallions right serving.

More Appetizers

• Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs
• Olive Feta Appetizer
• Grain Free Italian Sausage Balls
• Party Caprese
• Holiday Chicken Salad
• Sourdough Camembert Wreath

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Best Deviled Egg Recipe (Loaded with Cheddar and Bacon)

Perfect appetizers that could be a perfect low-carb snack.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword deviled eggs

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 12 hard-boiled eggs (recipe here)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 slices cooked bacon crumbled
• 1 teaspoon chives (or chopped scallions)
• 1 teaspoon salt as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper as needed

Instructions

• Peel eggs and remove yolk.
• Mix mustard and mayonnaise together.
• Mix yolk with mayo mixture until thoroughly mixed.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Use a paper towel to make sure the whites are dry and place on a salted plate.
• Pipe into each egg white.
• Top with cheddar, crumbled bacon, and chives.

The post Best Deviled Egg Recipe, Loaded with Bacon and Cheese appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

If you love buttermilk dressing, blogging, recipes, the writing process, or you believe hospitality is the gold of life, read on.

One of my favorite Nashville bloggers asked me to join the “my writing process blogging tour.”  Teresa from Food on Fifth is one of those blogs I open right away, just to salivate over her beautiful food,  as Teresa is a professional food stylist. Last summer, I was fortunate enough to take a food styling class from her. Her expertise and warm teaching style gave us a day to remember, and for me, sealed a friendship.

I’m coupling this with the most fitting buttermilk ranch dressing recipe that comes from the Hedgebrook Cookbook.

The land at Hedgebrook feeds women writers at a farmhouse table while they are on retreat. I have a signed copy of the book, which has as its subtitle, “celebrating radical hospitality.” The recipes represent so much of my heart, as they use seasonal ingredients in a rustic, yet elegant presentation, meant to nurture the soul, create community and stir creativity. If I were ever asked to name a cookbook that is not my own, yet represents me, it would be the Hedegebrook Cookbook.

The Writing Process Blogging Tour is an ongoing tour of bloggers who are enlisted to join and share their journey. At the end of this post, you will see that I’ve invited three other bloggers to join me, and they will be posting next Monday, June 16th.

I was asked to answer the following questions, and I’ll pose these interview style.

What am I working on? 

When Teresa answered this question, she replied, photo shoots, photo shoots  and more photo shoots. This past week, I can say I’m working on recipes, recipes and more recipes.

A well known food company has contracted me to develop five recipes as part of a promotion, which will be presented here starting June 23rd and go for five days. I have 4 recipes done and one to go. I’m also working on developing three innovative salad recipes for the Williamson Source, an on-line magazine, as they’ll be here Friday to shoot a video. Tomorrow, I’ll be working with a new client, a food brand, developing recipes for their website. When I’m not in the kitchen creating recipes and doing photo shoots, I’m writing about restaurants and food events. I just completed two fun articles for the Nashville Arts & Entertainment Magazine that were not food centric. The 2014 publication will be at the bookstands and in Nashville hotel rooms in September. I am most excited about the feature piece and can’t wait for people to read it.  The blog was the reason I was approached by the publisher, which reinforces my decision to include Nashville centric posts. I felt honored to be a part of such a quality publication.

Of course, I never forget my readers. I’m working on this week’s posts which will be centered around buttermilk. Think buttermilk fried chicken, buttermilk blueberry pie and some new twist on buttermilk biscuits.

This buttermilk salad dressing incorporates fresh parsley and chives from my garden. Aren’t those chive flowers pretty?

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I have never considered Spinach Tiger a hobby, although it took years for me to develop my brand and value. Even from the beginning, I moved with intention, striving to make it look like a beautiful magazine and finding my voice.  I do mostly original recipes and all the food styling and photography.

Amongst thousands of food blogs, how do I manage to be different?

Most bloggers fall into one of two categories. They either write recipes, or they share restaurant reviews. I do both with equal excitement and dedication, but I believe the photography helps me to stand out, as food is not that easy to shoot. I had a long learning curve, and I’m still learning. I make the food as appetizing as possible and I will put just as much time into the visual appeal as I do the integrity of the recipe. It’s not that easy to find great recipes that are truly tested and approachable. I focus on using easily attainable, ingredients, and simple food that is memorable.

If I compare myself to other food bloggers (which I try not to do), I think I’m very clearly branded by a certain style and food presentation. I hear that people like the writing too, and that makes me happy.

Why do I write what I do?

I am compelled to share my life through food. I can’t not do it. It’s difficult to be this vulnerable, but I’m driven by a strong belief system about food quality and food style.  I grew up eating great food at the family dinner table, but we also dined out several times a week.

I cherish the local food scene in Nashville, as many locally owned, chef driven restaurants have popped up. I love to tell the world what Nashville is doing. The other half of me wants to show the world easy ways to prepare whole foods and have fun in the kitchen.

Originally, I wanted to connect with like-minded, food-centered people. I still do, but I want more than that. I want to help people who don’t know much about food, but dream of being better in the kitchen, and want more family food time.

Nothing makes me happier than emails, like the one I got from Julian from Wales yesterday, asking me a few more questions about this bolognese that he had on the stove.

I want the story to matter. I want to move people with words, because as a child, books saved me when I was lonely or anxious about situations I had no control over. It was words  that inspired me, kept me company and gave me a healthy escape.

Words have power, and when I attach a personal story, especially the transparent ones like this one, I am hoping it resonates with someone who needs to see that people do overcome bad experiences. Teresa described me as funny, and I hope there are times my words entertain as I do believe laughter is medicine and just as necessary as food.

How does your writing process work?

I am always writing in my head. When I’m observing a situation, I’m writing. When I’m cooking, I’m writing. When I’m working out, I’m writing.  I keep white boards and huge post it notes to keep me focused and on somewhat of a schedule, but I leave myself space to yield to where the blog might take me.

I write the stories early in the morning, usually in bed before anything crowds my mind. However, I have this cute kitchen table, and if no one is home, I can sit there and focus for hours without getting up. Sometimes, I go to this coffee shop and sit in the far facing, right dark corner against the wall, cocooned in. It’s very productive when I find myself too fidgety to stay home.

I have a crazy writing habit. I write partial posts, hopping from one to another, which may be considered a bit manic. I never typically finish a post from start to stop, because I’ll get an idea and jump over and start something new. To date, I have 70 blog posts in draft,  not finished, but all started. Some will hit the cutting room floor. Some I’m insecure about, as they are too personal and I don’t know if I can hit publish. Some don’t have enough of a wow factor or some I need better photos for.

If I were to advise anyone about blogging, it would be write, write, write, but only plan half of it, and yield to the process. Blogs have minds of their own. You might start the process and believe you are headed down a fast highway, but the blog takes you to mountain roads or a breezy sail ride. Let it happen! Your creative side is not as conscious as you think. Most of us plan with the left side of our brain, and then think we will attempt to blog the same way. However, the creative process, tucked up in that right side of the brain may reveal itself to you in surprising ways.

You are more creative than you think you are. You have more to say than you think you do.

The Three Bloggers I’ve Invited to Join the Writing Process Tour

As part of this process, I invited these three bloggers to join me on the tour, and I’m happy they accepted and will be writing just like this next Monday.

Jane Bonacci of the Heritage Cook lives in Northern California, and most recently was a guest speaker at a BlogHer Food conference. She’s talented, warm and friendly.  If she were my neighbor, we would be great friends. I met her as leader of my group in the Secret Recipe Club. You’ll especially want to visit her blogs on Mondays, where she posts a chocolate recipe.  Coincidentally, we are both traveling to France and Italy this Fall. We really are kindred spirits.

Phillip of Southern Fatty is another new Nashville blogging buddy. Let me set the record straight. He’s not fat, but his food sure looks so delicious that he must work out a lot. Southern Fatty is Southern eye candy. Beautiful pictures and a great story always accompany a mouth watering recipe like baked blackberry brie. Yesterday, we judged an ice cream contest together. His tag line is “Loosen your bow tie, mint your julep and stop in for a bite to eat!”

Susan Williams of That Susan Williams is new to the Nashville Food Bloggers Association, where we met at a special blogger’s dinner. I liked her right away and I was captivated by her blog posts where she uses words to provoke a discussion about faith and destiny. A few days after we met, we ran smack into each other at the Nashville Farmer’s Market. Destined to be friends because we live about 50 miles apart.

Now for that recipe for the best buttermilk dressing you will ever eat. Creamy, herbal, spicy, perfect. Oh, and please tell me, do you think buttermilk dressing is outdated or making a comeback? Here’s the recipe for what I call the Farmhouse Salad.

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Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Homemade Buttermilk salad dressing spiced up with a little hot sauce, and freshly made with herbs from the garden adapted from the Hedgebrook Cookbook.

Course Salad Dressing

Cuisine American

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup full fat buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons chives minced
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 4 tablespoons parsley minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce I used Tabasco

Instructions

• If using a Vitamix, mix all ingredients except the fresh herbs. Once they are mix, fold herbs in
• You can also use a blender.
• Refrigerate for at least one hour, preferably 8 hours.
• Stays fresh in fridge up to three days.

The post Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This is my favorite pesto sauce ever.

This time I talk about what to do with the herbs in my garden, how to keep herbs fresh in your kitchen, and this amazing pesto with walnuts, lemon zest and all the herbs in my garden.

It’s the middle of summer and this means all the garden herbs, especially basil plants,  are growing in abundance. Living in Tennessee, I discovered I could have an herbal garden year round. Rosemary, sage, pineapple sage, and thyme will grow and provide fresh herbs year round.  Basil, chives, parsley and dill are annuals and when planted in the Spring, can be enjoyed for several months. Among all of the herbs for planting, basil is one of the most popular, pairing so well with tomatoes for bruschetta and as the main herb in pesto.

Pesto is typically made with basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. This garden pesto, however, is a creative variation using all the herbs I’ve grown myself, along with toasted walnuts. The garden pesto was inspired by the herbal bouquets I keep in the kitchen. Basil is more delicate than many of the other herbs, and as the leaves quickly grow, they may begin to wilt in hot temperatures. I snip them from the outside, before they begin to flower. Once basil begins to flower, the taste becomes much stronger. herbal bouquet

I discovered the best way for me to keep the basil fresh in the kitchen is to keep it in a watered vase at room temperature. Fresh basil doesn’t last nearly as long in the refrigerator as it does sitting out in vase.  Making basil bouquets is one way to use the basil and have it ready for cooking.

Make sure to trim all the leaves off where the stems will touch water. Place in cool water and add in other herbs such as sage and parsley.

I am currently growing basil, thyme, parsley, rosemary, dill, chives, pineapple sage and sage. I use at least one herb in every dish I make.

If you only plant one herb, make it thyme because this herb is fragrant and not overpowering. It works in almost every dish, even some desserts.  When planting thyme, cut it back in Spring, so it doesn’t get too woody. It’s hardy and grows well in the South.

Rosemary is an evergreen and can also be grown year round. Simply slip the rosemary off of the stem. Grow in the ground or in pots. Rosemary is strong and a little goes a long way. It pairs wonderfully with thyme and parsley, can be used in cooking, roasting and is great as a finishing herb used fresh right before serving.

Sage is often used in fall dishes and shows up at the Thanksgiving dinner, but it grows all year, multiplies quickly and is hardy. Sage adds earthiness to dishes, especially lamb, pork and chicken, but try frying sage leaves or chopping into vegetables. Use together with rosemary and thyme for a pork roast.  I also have a pineapple sage that is sweetly fragrant. Chop it up for any savory dish and remember it for fruit salad. Sage flowers attract hummingbirds and the leaves attract lady bugs, which help to keep unwanted insects away.

Dill is an annual that you will have to plant in the Spring and does well in containers. Dill brightens vegetable and potato dishes, seafood, tuna salad and, of course is used for pickles.

Chives are perennials and once rooted will come back every Spring. Add them at the very end of the dish as heat kills their flavor. Chives also sprout  pretty edible purple flowers, which I use to make chive vinegar.

Italian parsley, like thyme, is good in so many different dishes, in cooking and in finishing a dish. The Italian parsley is the flat one, and preferred over curly.

Basil is often found in summery Italian food, especially in making caprese salad, tomato sauce, and basil pesto. It’s a natural pairing for tomatoes, but also is wonderful in fruit salads. It’s planted annually and often right next to tomato plants adding to their flavor and helping to keep insects away.  Toss into soups, salads, sauces, or use as a garnish. Add to a watermelon salad or a summer cocktail.

This recipe is a combination of all of the herbs in my garden along with lemon, lemon zest and toasted walnuts. It’s so good because you can actually taste the different herbs. This pesto can be used on toasted bread, pasta, potatoes, fish, chicken, pork and beef. It’s that versatile.

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Walnut Pesto Sauce with Seven Herbs

Garden Pesto with walnuts and seven herbs great for fish, toast, pasta and more.

Course Sauce

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2-3 handfuls of basil leaves
• 1 handful of flat Italian parsley
• 2-4 leaves of sage
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
• 2-4 sprigs of thyme remove from stem
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
• lemon juice of 1/2 lemon
• lemon zest of 1/2 lemon
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup toasted walnuts

Instructions

• Put herbs, salt, pepper, lemon juice, walnuts in food processor, adding oil a little at a time, pulsing until the pesto is chunky but mixed well enough to spread. Don’t over mix. Stir in lemon zest at the end.
• Recipe Notes: This can be made with just basil or a mix of basil and parsley. Use the additional herbs if you happen to have them on hand, and only in small amounts. Be sure to chop the chives very fine by hand before adding to the pesto.
• The pesto can sit outside of refrigerator for several hours, but do refrigerate overnight.

The post Walnut Pesto Sauce with Seven Herbs appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

When I was a little girl, my family switched the way they made green salad and started putting onions in it, to my horror, I might add. I would make them keep my salad separate. Onions can make me cry, and they did, but not how you think. They started lying to me and I would bite into my salad and taste the onion which led to tears. Why didn’t they understand that I hated raw onions, and I loved salad.

I only use vinaigrette for salad and just like in childhood, I still eat a salad with every dinner. This means I have to find creative twists to not get into a salad rut. I know you do too, because this honey lemon salad dressing is always in my top ten ranking posts. Knowing how much  just a little honey can do for a vinaigrette, I featured it in this recipe. A little goes a long way in helping the oil and vinaigrette bond together.

I stumbled onto chive vinaigrette by sheer accident. I grew one chive plant last year and over the winter I saw it blossom and grow beautiful flowers. I didn’t know about chive flowers and when I talked about it on social media, someone sent me a link for making chive vinegar. I had no idea and I made the vinegar that very day using champagne vinegar as a base, but a white balsamic or a white wine vinegar works too.

The recipe called for storing the vinegar with the flowers for two or three weeks, but I didn’t want to wait. My vinegar had enough chive flavor for me by the next day. The vinegar turned a beautiful color resembling  soft pink tourmaline.

The chive flower vinegar became chive flower vinaigrette using only two other ingredients, honey and olive oil. So far, we’ve been eating this dressing for the past week, stored in a mason jar, and I’m loving it.

It makes ordinary baby lettuce taste better with no additional ingredients, but it pairs really well with chopped green apple with cheddar or blue cheese. The bite of this vinaigrette would also complement beets in a salad.

To further the chive experience, serve with these  bacon cheddar chive biscuits.

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Making Homemade Chive Flower Vinegar for a Chive Champagne Vinaigrette

How to make Chive Flower Vinegar and a Vinaigrette

Course Salad Dressing

Cuisine American

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• VINEGAR INGREDIENTS
• 10 chive flowers
• 1 mason jar
• 1 cup white vinegar or champagne vinegar
• VINAIGRETTE INGREDIENTS
• 2 ounces chive flower vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 4 to 6 ounces extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Wash chive flowers thoroughly, rinsing in cold water twice and drying. Bugs can easily hide inside the flowers, so wash well.
• Place flowers in mason jar. Fill up with vinegar. Store in dark place up to three weeks. I used the vinegar within two days and it had enough flavor and color.
• VINAIGRETTE INSTRUCTIONS
• Shake chive flower vinegar with honey until thoroughly mixed. Stream in olive oil and mix well.
• Store in mason jar, not refrigerated. It will keep for several weeks.

The post How to Make Homemade Chive Flower Vinegar for a Chive Champagne Vinaigrette appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Bacon Cheddar Chive Biscuits are the perfect biscuit for a Sunday morning. There is time to fry the bacon, grate the cheese and go out the garden to snip off some fresh chives. I mentioned morning, but these biscuits travel well into supper time served with soup or salad.

I realize this makes two biscuits recipes in one week, but I was so happy with the outcome of both the recipe, the rave reviews from friends and family and the pictures, that I had to post it.

Sometimes writing a blog is overwhelming, because there is so much more behind the scenes than a non-blogger might realize. There are those miraculous times when a simple post is magic the first time around and I grab a quick photo, write a few words and it heads to the top five most popular posts.

Then there are the times I work very hard to test and perfect a recipe, perhaps in three rounds and taking hundreds of photos, only to come up short and not be happy about the work. Frustration can set in, because the blog becomes a job with an unrelenting boss (me).

This was one of those days where I just happened to be making a family breakfast and while not really intending to post yet another biscuit recipe, it all worked. The day was sunny. The chives in my garden were flowering and needed to be harvested.

This was my first year growing chives. I had no idea I would look out into my herb garden and see  beautiful purple flowers, which by the way are also edible. Once the chive plant flowers, cut down to about two inches. The plant may need to be divided. It’s very hearty, grows in full sun and likes cold weather. We have a very cool Spring, and the chives went crazy, growing quickly. I now need some more ideas for chives, as they are flourishing.

If you have a favorite chive recipe, drop me a line. Also, do you have a favorite type of biscuit or one you would like to see me make? Drop me a comment with your biscuit wish and I’ll see what I can do.

Mix the chives into the flour before adding other ingredients so it is evenly dispersed. Shred the cheese as finely as you can.

Use crisp bacon. Pat biscuit dough down in the bowl. Cut with a biscuit cutter.

Make this Gluten free with this popular gluten free recipe that has been kitchen tested. Just add the bacon, chives and cheddar.

Here are more delicious biscuits recipes from Spinach Tiger.

Homemade Fluffy Southern Biscuits

Chocolate Gravy with Mile High Biscuits

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Best Flakey Buttermilk Biscuits

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Bacon Cheddar Chive Biscuits for a Sunday Morning

Homemade Bacon Cheddar Chive Biscuits.

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 cups Lily White or soft wheat all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon chopped chives
• 1/2 teaspoon salt cubed, frozen
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 crispy pieces of bacon crumbled
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup full fat buttermilk

Instructions

• mix dry ingredients together in large bowl that has a wide flat bottom. A wooden salad bowl works well.
• Add in cubes of butter. Working with your hands, incorporate butter into flour or use a pastry blending tool. I use my hands because it's kid friendly and kids often help.
• Add in bacon, cheese.
• Add in buttermilk, Mix with spoon. Use a little extra flour only if needed to form into a dough mound.
• Pat down with palm of hand. Cut biscuits.
• Place biscuits in cast iron frying pan, touching (or baking stone) and bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Brush with melted butter out of the oven.

The post Bacon Cheddar Chive Biscuits appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I admit that sometimes on rare occasions, my mind wanders during church. Not because our church is boring. Far from it. You know I wouldn’t be at a boring service.  Sometimes, the pastor is a bit overly enthusiastic, and if you’ve ever been to a Tyler Perry movie or play, you get the picture.  But sometimes, my earthly pleasures take over and this past Sunday right smack in the middle of the sermon, I whispered something to my husband.

“Savory cheesecake with a potato chip crust.” He gives me two nods. One vertical nod that says “great idea.” And one diagonal nod that says, “get your eyes back up there.” Well, now I could concentrate. I was a food group and our theme for the month was junk food.

At first I was excited.  I thought of my favorite junk food that I rarely allow to darken my door. Then I was not so excited because the junk food throws me. If it were up to me, several aisles in the grocery store would disappear, just because I don’t partake.

I do, however, have memories of purchasing  freshly bagged potato chips at the Farmer’s Market in Pennsylvania. I never ate a sandwich without the crunch of chips in the middle. Not wanting to miss the challenge, I picked Kettle Cooked Potato Chips, but for days had no recipe. Then right in the middle of the church service it came into my head.

I’ve never made any type of cheesecake at all, so this was more than a challenge for me. I chose a sour cream and onion flavor profile, using spring onions and chives and a few spices.

Everyone remember eating onion dip and I wanted to play off of that.  It’s a fun appetizer, and something that could easily be taken to a party. The chips brings a crunch to the smooth creaminess of the cheesecake that makes you want to go back for just one more bite.

I consulted the Loveless Cafe Cookbook to see how they made a sweet cheesecake. Their approach is unconventional, not using a water bath and baking at a low 300 degrees. I also consulted a friend who sells cheesecakes and she said to start at 475 degrees for 10 minutes and then reduce to 300 degrees.

I tried both methods and both worked. The latter gave me more of a solid cheesecake with a golden top. This is the recipe I will post.

The Process for Savory Cheesecake

Start by crushing potato chips with rolling pin. You could use a food processor, but I like crushing.

Press potato chips into pan.

Add the cheesecake mixture into these mini cheesecake pans. I like these pans.

Top with Sour Cream, Chopped Chives and Crushed Chips

Another version is to garnish with chives before baking.

I can’t wait to try a variety of flavors and serve this at my next dinner party. I’m thinking a smoked salmon might be nice crusted in what else, but bagel chips.

If you want to see a video of my other savory smoked salmon cheesecake, CLICK HERE.

What is your favorite kind of savory cheesecake or is this the first time you are hearing about a savory instead of sweet version?

More Savory Cheesecakes

Savory Caramelized Onion Cheesecake

Savory Cheesecake Bites, Perfect for a Party

Savory Smoked Salmon Cheesecake with video

My Sweet Cheesecakes

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Savory Sour Cream Chives Cheesecake with Potato Chip Crust

A kettle potato chip crusted savory cheesecake reminiscent of a sour cream and onion chips and dip, but a much more elegant appetizer.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 8 oz. bag kettle cooked or ruffled potato chips
• 4 spring onions thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1 pound full-fat non-whipped cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• Extra chives for decorating
• Sour Cream for topping optional
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• sea salt white pepper
• 4 eggs
• chives for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 475
• Using a rolling pin or a food processor, crush chips into large crumbs. Add a tablespoon of melted butter to the chips and press into pans. Bake for five minutes. Set Aside.
• Melt butter in a small frying pan. Gently soften green onions. Do not brown. Set aside.
• Whip cream cheese in food processor. Once smooth, add in sour cream, chives, spring onion, garlic powder.
• Add eggs one at a time.
• Pour into pans and bake at 475 for five minutes. Turn heat down to 250 and bake for another 10-15 minutes until set. Cheesecake should be a little jiggly.
• Turn oven off, open oven door and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
• You can choose to serve warm with crackers or bread toasts.
• If refrigerated, bring to room temperature before serving.

Notes

I used two six inch spring form pans. You could also make one cheesecake in a 10 inch pan. Adjust baking times to 10 minutes 1t 475 and then 20 minutes at 250.

I make one cheesecake with chives placed on top and one cheesecake topped with sour cream, chopped chives and some potato chips.

The post Savory Chive Cheesecake with Potato Chip Crust appeared first on Spinach Tiger.