Do you love great food?

I mean really wonderful, worth making, everyone loves it great food?

I do … and I search for it everywhere.  When I go out to eat I always search for things that I don’t make at home, because quite frankly, no one makes it better than I can (or that’s what I say in my head and my husband tells me).  When my husband and I travel, we comb through TripAdvisor, Food Network and throughout the Interwebs to hunt down places and dishes that are worthy – worthy of time, effort, money.  And when we find these ever elusive dishes, I try to replicate them.  They have always been worth the trouble.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those who loves to spend my life in a kitchen – HA – no far from it.  I want simple, quick, and fabulous.  It can be achieved!  Come with me on the wonderful journey …. you won’t be sorry.

First up in my roster is Garlic and Gruyere Cheese Puffs. Now, I know what you’re thinking, humpf, “Cheese Puffs”, those sound like just appetizer party food.  I say nay nay.  These are worthy of your home cooking, all to yourself, heck no I’m not sharing even one cheese puff with you, time and effort.

Ever take a bite of something, smile and sigh ….. be prepared to stand at the stove and eat these off the baking tray.  Have a salad already on cute little plates waiting in the fridge so that when these come out of the oven you can grab your salad and call it a meal.  You’ll thank me, promise.

First thing you need to do is take 4 eggs out of the fridge and set them on the counter to come to room temperature.  They’ll be ready for you when you get to that step.  Next go ahead and set your oven to 400°.  I like to give my oven at least 15 minutes to come up to temperature and even out before I start cooking anything (don’t believe those beeps your oven gives you that says it’s ready … it’s not).  Also take 2 large baking sheets and line them with parchment paper.

 

Now, get all your ingredients out, measured, cheese grated, etc. so that when you need everything you’ll feel like Martha Stewart and it will all be waiting for you to throw in when the time comes.  you’ll need 1/2 cup whole milk plus 1/2 cup water, 8 tbsp salted butter cubed, a rounded 1/4 tsp kosher salt, a rounded 1/4 tsp garlic granules, 1 cup all purpose flour, those 4 eggs that you got out earlier and 5 ounces of Gruyere cheese grated (I know this is on the pricey side, but splurge, you’ve worked hard on those quilts in the other room and you’re worth it).

Bring the milk, water, butter, salt, and garlic granules to a boil in a saucepan (approx 4qt. saucepan – it says on the bottom) over medium high heat.  Add flour and stir until dough forms.  Reduce heat to medium low stirring dough constantly with a wooden spoon until slightly dried, about 3 minutes.

Removed from heat and transfer to a bowl (this will keep the eggs from cooking).  Using a hand mixer beat in 1 egg  at a time until smooth.  Stir in the cheese.

Using a large tablespoon, drop balls of dough onto parchment paper lined baking sheets – it will take two large baking sheets.  I take the dough and divide it in half and place 15 cheese puffs on each baking sheet (no need to smooth around on the cheese puffs, just plop them on the baking sheet).

Place in oven and reduce temperature to 375°.  Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes (half way through cooking time I switch the baking sheets from top to bottom and vice versus).

This makes 30 cheese puffs.  If you have any left (ha, ha, ha … oh, sorry) they can be stored in a plastic bag and popped in the toaster oven to crisp up.

Enjoy!

This is totally a recipe worth keeping and we have made it easier… CLICK HERE and get a totally printable version for your very own!

Is there a recipe you have yet to master, make faster or want to learn more about?…. Leave the lovely Ms Licatovich a comment and we will see what happens!!

Carrie Licatovich is a wonderful cook, fun wife, rescuer and foster of cute and quirky pugs, active hiker, kayaker and a quilter who works at Tennessee Quilts in Jonesborough, TN.  She loves GREAT food and will be sharing tried and true recipes for making fabulous dishes.  Carrie sees herself as Hit-Girl in a Super Hero World.  Be BadAss … Be BadAss every day!

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