Name: Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 strips bacon, cut into lardons (matchsticks); 1 small onion, thinly sliced; 1 pound Brussels sprouts, woody stems cut off, any bruised leaves removed, and quartered; 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock; salt and pepper to taste

Molcajete Mexican Restaurant

December 25, 2015

Molcajete Mexican Restaurant is a beautiful restaurant on Lee Highway in Chattanooga, Tennessee that serves delicious Mexican food!
A couple of months ago, I posted on my Facebook page asking what everyone’s favorite Mexican restaurant in the Chattanooga area was. I got a ton of responses-several of which corresponded to my personal favorite (Delia’s, DUH) but lots of which I had never heard of. You’ll forgive me if there’s a disproportionate number of Mexican restaurant reviews for the next few months, right??? I’ve got a lot of work to do!

One restaurant that several people mentioned was Molcajete. Philip actually ended up eating there a couple of weeks ago and really liked it, so we decided to go back last weekend. We went at about 1:30 or 2:00 on Saturday afternoon, and while there were quite a few people in the restaurant, we were seated immediately. Our chips and salsa were delivered quickly and our server, Grace, took our drink orders. We also ordered a small bowl of queso because why not??? I will tell you that one of my readers highly recommended the choriqueso (queso with chorizo) but I didn’t want to go that heavy plus we typically order regular queso so I wanted a point of reference.

The chips, salsa, and queso were all pretty standard Mexican restaurant versions. The chips were thin, very crispy, and not too greasy. The salsa was just slightly spicy and pretty smooth (which is how I like it-I don’t care for chunky salsa) with a decent amount of cilantro. The queso was very thin and not very spicy. ⬅️I feel like these are very bland descriptions. Everything was good, but like I said, pretty standard…so I just don’t have much to say!

I decided to order the taquitos with ground beef. Taquitos are rolled corn tortillas stuffed with meat and fried (flautas are the flour tortilla version). Their taquitos are served with guacamole salad (basically just guacamole and shredded lettuce), shredded cheese, rice, and beans. I have to admit, the taquitos were delicious. The tortillas were very crispy-impressively so-and the meat was very well seasoned. On its own, I found the guacamole to be a little too spicy (it had chunks of jalapeño in it), but scooped onto the taquitos it worked perfectly. The beans were, again, pretty standard. Not bad but not earth-shattering. The rice was well seasoned and well-cooked.

Philip decided quickly on a chimichanga (pretty much his standard order) but then noticed the chimiRica-a chimichanga filled with grilled chicken or steak, onions, chorizo, and special sauce, topped with queso sauce. He ordered the small with beef, and I’m pretty sure that if he had ordered the large we would have been in bad shape. In fact, he didn’t even finish the small! It was pretty gigantic. The meat and onions were well-cooked and the cheese sauce made it super-gooey. He didn’t really notice the special sauce, though. His one complaint was that it didn’t come with rice and beans and that, a la carte, they would have cost $4 ($1.99 each) extra. I had plenty, though, so I shared with him.

The decor at Molcajete is very nice. The servers and other staff were very friendly and the food was tasty and fresh. The menu is extensive. It’s definitely (at least mostly) Americanized Mexican food, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t taste good. They have a full bar as well. The prices were on par with other similar restaurants-our total for the queso and two entrees (we drank water) was $18.00 pre-tip. If you are in the Brainerd/Lee Highway area, give Molcajete Mexican restaurant a try!

Molcajete Mexican restaurant is located at 6231 Perimeter Drive, Suite 127, Chattanooga, Tennessee (in the same complex as Sportsman’s Warehouse and Pin Strikes). They are open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday. You can call them at 423-760-8200. You can like Molcajete on Facebook.

20 Recipes to Make for Christmas Dinner

December 23, 2015

Christmas is almost here, and there’s a good chance you’ve finalized your menu. If you still need some ideas, though, here are 20 recipes to make for Christmas dinner (or dessert)!

1. Foolproof Standing Rib Roast – A Spicy Perspective

My family has a standing rib roast every year for Christmas. I love the break from Thanksgiving food and it makes me feel fancy and British (if I thought my family would eat it, I would totally make a Yorkshire pudding). However, rib roasts are expensive and it’s unlikely that I’m going to buy one to cook for the blog. Luckily, Sommer from A Spicy Perspective has covered that base for me.

2. Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Ham – The Magical Slow Cooker

If you like to be a little more traditional, there’s nothing wrong with that! This slow cooker ham from my friend Sarah at The Magical Slow Cooker has brown sugar, mustard, and pineapple and it frees up space in your oven. Winning!

3. Coffee-Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Jus – The Crepes of Wrath

Why, hello my love. If we didn’t do a rib roast I’d totally beg my mom to do this instead. I puffy heart ❤️ love medium-rare beef, so this makes me very happy.

4. Brined Roast Chicken with Potatoes Lyonnaise

If you want to take the poultry route, why not skip the turkey and go for a chicken or two instead? They’re less expensive and easier to handle. This one, cut into pieces, brined, and pan-roasted, is absolutely delicious.

5. Holiday Pork Loin Roast with Sicilian Cauliflower – Big Girl Small Kitchen

If you prefer to go with a pork roast, this one fits the bill! A perfectly seasoned pork loin and crispy roasted cauliflower…yes please!

6. Potato and Artichoke Gratin

This is one of my new favorite side dishes. Creamy potatoes, tender artichokes, and everything covered in a layer of tangy cheese. We ate this for dinner twice then ate it for breakfast for several more days.

7. Melissa’s Macaroni & Cheese – Served Up With Love

My family cannot have a holiday meal without macaroni & cheese for my picky eater nephew. The thing is, you don’t have to be a picky eater to love mac & cheese. Melissa says she probably wouldn’t be allowed in if she showed up to a family gathering without a pan of this!

8. Oyster Dressing – Game and Garden

Tradition with a little twist! Stacy’s oyster dressing looks delicious, but for the squeamish among you, she says you can definitely leave the oysters out.

9. Twice-Baked Potatoes

Who doesn’t love a twice-baked potato? I mean, what’s not to love about a crispy potato skin, creamy potatoes, cheese, bacon, and a little hit of green onion? This is what’s usually on the side of my family’s standing rib roast.

10. Creamed Cauliflower – Spicy Southern Kitchen

It’s kind of like mac & cheese but with cauliflower instead of pasta. Creamy, cheesy, and with a little crunch on top, this vegetable dish will make you think you’ve died and gone to cauliflower heaven.

11. Winter Vegetable Gratin – A Calculated Whisk

With pureed sweet onions adding an extra layer of flavor to the creamy base of this dish, this winter vegetable gratin is perfect if you want a creamy, cheesy, comforting side but you want to avoid potatoes or pasta. Becky has outdone herself with this one!

12. Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

There’s a good chance that you think you hate Brussels sprouts, but there’s also a good chance that if you try these Brussels sprouts with bacon you’ll change your mind!

13. Cranberry-Apple Crumble – The Hill Hangout

Ashley says that this gorgeous crumble can be served as a dessert or a side dish. Score!

14. Old Fashioned Homemade Sweet Potato Biscuits with Honey Butter – Call Me PMc

These are so simple and look beautiful and delicious. Paula says that her family prefers them to cornbread.

15. Easy Garlic Parmesan Dinner Rolls – Southern Bite

Stacey’s dinner rolls are made from scratch but are so easy! With garlic and parmesan on the top, they have a little extra flavor that will be the perfect complement to whatever you decide to serve this Christmas!

16. Caramel Cake

One word: icing.

17. Sweet Potato Brûlée – Southern Plate

Yes. Creme brûlée with a layer of Southern-style sweet potatoes. People love Christy’s sweet potato brûlée!

18. Italian Cream Cake

I’ve given up making layer cakes. Why bother when sheet cakes are so much simpler and turn out like this???

19. Crock Pot Chocolate Cobbler – Recipes that cRock!

Dessert in the slow cooker: how can you argue with that? Especially when it’s gooey, melty chocolate??

20. Bakewell Tart

Coming full-circle..this is the perfect fancy British dessert for you! With sweet, almond-y frangipane and a layer of raspberry jam, this tart is one of my all-time favorite desserts.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

December 21, 2015

Brussels sprouts with bacon will change the way you think about Brussels sprouts, the vegetable that everyone loves to hate!

What are your thoughts about Brussels sprouts? I know an awful lot of people who won’t touch them with a ten-foot pole. One guy I know says that his parents made him eat Brussels sprouts when he was a kid and he doesn’t care how they’re cooked, he is an adult and he is never eating Brussels sprouts again. People definitely have strong feelings about this much maligned vegetable.

Honestly, I never really had strong feelings about Brussels sprouts. I don’t remember my mom ever cooking them, but I do remember my grandmother making them a few times. It was a pretty rare occurrence so I don’t remember it very vividly, but I am fairly certain that they were (a) frozen; and (b) boiled and buttered. I seem to recall eating them with ketchup (???). I recall not hating them.

After we got married, Philip and I had a discussion about Brussels sprouts. He didn’t recall ever eating them. I was all, “Oh, they’re good! I’ll make them!” So what did I do?? I bought a bag of frozen Brussels sprouts, boiled (or maybe steamed?) them, and put butter on them. Ketchup optional (Philip is not a big ketchup fan). Um, no. I was not eating those. Suddenly, I hated Brussels sprouts.

The turning point for me came when I bought Tyler Florence’s cookbook Dinner at My Place(⬅️affiliate link). While the book had some great recipes, it overall did not really fit into my cooking style, so I traded it at McKay’s long ago…but one recipe stuck with me: bacon and Brussels sprouts hash. The recipe called for fresh Brussels sprouts, which honestly I didn’t realize that you could purchase at the grocery store prior to that, and fingerling potatoes, which are not exactly easy to come by around here, so I subbed in red potatoes instead. Soon, though, I realized that I did not need the potatoes. Brussels sprouts game.changed.

The texture of fresh Brussels sprouts is approximately 7,000,000,000 % better than the texture of frozen Brussels sprouts. And Brussels sprouts with bacon? Come on now. Roasting Brussels sprouts is in vogue right now, and sure…roasted Brussels sprouts are delicious (the leaves that fall off get crispy and are like little Brussels sprouts chips). Brussels sprouts with bacon are on another level, though. I’ve made believers out of a lot of skeptics and proclaimed Brussels sprouts haters. Give these a try!

This post contains an affiliate link. This means that if you click through the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission. This will not effect the cost to you. For more information, please read my disclosures!

Yield: 4 servings

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

15 minPrep Time:

25 minCook Time:

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Ingredients

2 strips bacon, cut into lardons (matchsticks)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 pound Brussels sprouts, woody stems cut off, any bruised leaves removed, and quartered
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon until beginning to crisp.
Add the onions to the pan. Cook until they are soft and just beginning to brown on the edges.
Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until they begin to brown. Add the chicken stock to the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover.
Cook the Brussels sprouts, covered, until mostly tender (10-15 minutes). If there is any liquid remaining in the pan, remove the lid and raise the heat to medium and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Notes

This recipe is easily multiplied.

https://chattavore.com/brussels-sprouts-with-bacon/

Click here to print the recipe for Brussels sprouts with bacon!

Brussels sprouts with bacon will make a believer out of the Brussels sprouts haters in your life! | recipe from chattavore.com

Potatoes Dauphinoise with Artichokes

December 18, 2015

Potatoes Dauphinoise with artichokes is everything you’d expect from a gratin-creamy, cheesy, and soothing-with the added benefit of being artichoke-y! ~~Keep reading for a giveaway!~~

Do you say “grah-tin” or “gruh-tan”? Being the good little Food Network devotee that I am (well, that I was until I cut off my cable 3 1/2 years ago), I say “gruh-tan”. But I am totally down with you saying “grah-tin” as long as you aren’t talking about the gloopy boxed mess that comes from a Betty Crocker box (sorry, Betty).

Here’s the thing. I made my fair share of Betty Crocker potatoes au gratin (or au gratin potatoes…I can’t remember how they spell that out) the first few years that I was adulting. I remember dehydrated potatoes, powdered cheese, milk, and butter (actually, it was probably margarine. I was a different person back then.). I remember the weird bite that the potatoes had to them but I keep eating them for whatever reason. And fed them to my husband. That man, he loves me, because he stuck around.

When I discovered, after my Food Network awakening, what from-scratch potatoes gratin entailed, I never looked back on my Betty Crocker days. I mean, heavy cream, cheese (if you feel so inclined, that is, but it’s not a requirement) and fresh, non-dehydrated potatoes WHAT?!?!?! Sounds like Heaven?? to me!

I have a funny potatoes gratin story for you. The French name for potatoes gratin is potatoes dauphinoise (pronounced daw-fin-wahz). When my cousin got married a couple of years ago, potatoes dauphinoise were served at the reception. As we were going through the line to get our food, the servers would tell us what each item was. The lady scooping out the potatoes told my brother-in-law that she was serving dauphinoise potatoes, but with all the noise going on in the building, he heard “dolphin wawa potatoes”. Those potatoes dauphinoise were so good that my mom decided to make them for Thanksgiving…but she had an awfully hard time finding a recipe for dolphin wawa potatoes on the interwebs. Ha.

Potatoes Dauphinoise with artichokes is every bit as good as your standard-issue potato gratin…but better because artichokes. It’s my belief that the addition of artichokes makes just about any savory dish better. Someone prove me wrong (I mean, unless you just don’t like artichokes, but then you live in a world I don’t understand). And if you’ve never had potatoes gratin, or potatoes au gratin, or au gratin potatoes or whatever you would like to call them, give this creamy, cheesy, and basically perfect potatoes Dauphinoise with artichokes a try!

NOW-I promised you a giveaway! Chefs Jeff and Heather Pennypacker moved to Chattanooga not all that long ago and now are working on building a new cooking classroom, The Sweet and Savory Classroom on Main Street. Philip and I had a chance to go check out their space and talk with Jeff a couple of months ago and I think it’s going to be amazing! I might even teach some Southern cooking classes for them (whoop whoop!).

Jeff and Heather are giving away a class at the Sweet and Savory Classroom to one Chattavore reader. If you are from the Chattanooga area, comment on this post by Monday, December 21 at 8:00 p.m. EST for a chance to win (winner will be chosen at random)!

Congratulations to Karen, who won the cooking class!

Yield: 6-8 servings

Potato and Artichoke Gratin

10 minPrep Time:

40 minCook Time:

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, halved and sliced thin
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 9-ounce box frozen artichokes, thawed and choked
1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Cook onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes, cream, salt, and pepper and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in artichokes and 1 cup cheese and transfer to 9x9 baking dish.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake until golden brown and potatoes are completely tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve.

https://chattavore.com/potatoes-dauphinoise-artichokes/

20 Christmas Breakfast Recipes

December 16, 2015

I look forward to Christmas breakfast almost as much as I look forward to Christmas dinner. If you need some delicious Christmas breakfast recipes, here are some great ideas for you!

1. My Grandmother’s Egg Soufflé

I grew up eating this every Christmas morning, along with Pillsbury orange danishes. I thought that it must be very complicated, seeing as how we only ate it once a year. I was incorrect. This dish is simple but special!

2. Oven-Fried Bacon – The Hill Hangout

Because who wants to stand over the stove frying bacon all morning?

3. Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole

For the family with a bit of a sweet tooth, this spicy and fruity casserole is absolutely perfect!

4. Chocolate Croissant Breakfast Bake – Plain Chicken

Chocolate chips. Croissants. Simplicity. Boom.

5. Smoked Sausage Frittata – Served Up with Love

Just a little bit different…this frittata uses smoked sausage instead of breakfast sausage.

6. Baking Powder Biscuits

I make these almost every Saturday yet they still manage to be special every.time.I make them. If you can get it, make them with White Lily flour; it really does make a difference in the unbelievably tender texture!

7. Cinnamon-Sugar Chunky Bread – Dairy Good Life

This from-scratch take on monkey bread is buttery, sweet, and cinnamon-y. What more could you ask for?

8. Cheesy Grits and Spinach Casserole – Cooking and Beer

Justine from Cooking and Beer is not from the South, but she cooks grits like she is! This casserole breaks the sausage, egg, and cheese mold!

9. Cranberry Orange Scones

I can’t think of a more classic flavor combination than cranberry and orange, and they go together wonderfully in these sweet, fruity, and just a little rich scones.

10. Bacon-Cheddar Quiche – A Southern Soul

This play on traditional cinnamon rolls is a little sweet, a little tart, and a lot delicious.

11. Sausage Pinwheels – Southern Plate

I love to make sausage pinwheels, and they’re perfect served with a little gravy to dip them in.

12. Biscuits and Gravy Casserole

There’s no breakfast fare more classically Southern than biscuits and gravy, and this casserole combines them with eggs and sausage in this easy casserole that doesn’t need to be made the night before!

13. Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Pull Apart Bread – Crazy for Crust

This bread has two ingredients. What are you waiting for???

14. 5-ingredient Puff Pastry Pineapple Upside Down Cinnamon Rolls – Call Me PMc

Okay, first of all: 5 ingredients. No dough to rise because these are made with puff pastry. Plus, pineapple and sweet gooey glaze-how could you pass these up?

15. Creamy Spinach and Potato Breakfast Casserole – Pinch of Yum

This casserole is healthy, y’all. Healthy. That’s probably not a criteria for your Christmas breakfast but when it looks this darn delicious healthy is definitely a bonus!

16. Pear-Pecan Oven Pancake

Pancakes are way too tedious and time-consuming for Christmas morning, but this oven pancake is baked and terribly simple.

17. Quick Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Icing – Budget Girl

These cinnamon rolls come together in less than an hour. Seriously. Plus, this recipe is a guest post from Yours Truly soooooo….

18. Sausage Balls from Scratch

You don’t need to buy a box of Bisquick that (if you’re like me) will sit in your pantry unused for the rest of the year. Make your sausage balls from scratch!

19. Cinnamon Bun Scones – Bake or Break