wild mushroom, balsamic + thyme grilled cheese

 

fall is just around the corner & i am so excited!!!! while everyone is soaking up those last couple weeks of summer, i am ready to bust out all my fall favourites. first up, a grilled cheese! but not just any grilled cheese, a fancy pants one made with wild mushrooms. you should know by now how much i love incorporating wild mushrooms into my recipes. when nordic ware asked me to create a unique sandwich in their new stove top grill pan, a balsamic & wild mushroom grilled cheese is the first thing that came to mind! every flavour works so well together; the balsamic, garlic, thyme & gruyere.. oh so good!

i like to serve it along side tomato soup as the soup is perfect for dipping into. grilled cheese & tomato soup are a classic for a reason! the stovetop sandwich & grill press makes cooking grilled cheese (& other delicious sandwiches) so easy! the design was inspired by cheese toasties served in europe. it is made in america of cast aluminum for ultra even heating & reduced cooking time. you can even grill chicken & steak on it. i also love how easy it is to clean & store all of nordic ware's stovetop pans. i have a couple of the waffle ones too. so much better then a bulky appliance. as someone who doesn't even own a microwave, i prefer stove top everything!

now get your fall on & enjoy this recipe for a fancy pants grilled cheese! xo

ingredients

for the balsamic thyme wild mushrooms

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 4 cups wild mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon quality balsamic vinegar
  • salt & pepper, to taste

for the grilled cheese

  • 8 slices sour dough bread
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 100 grams mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
  • 100 grams gruyere cheese, thinly sliced
  • 1 batch balsamic thyme wild mushrooms (see recipe above)
  • balsamic reduction, for serving (optional)

directions

for the balsamic thyme wildmushrooms

  • in a skillet over low heat melt the butter.
  • add the mushrooms, onion, garlic & thyme. cook until softened, about 15 minutes.
  • add the balsamic, salt & pepper. cook for an additional 2 minutes.
  • remove from heat & set aside until ready to use.

for the grilled cheese

  • generously spread the butter on one side of each piece of sliced bread.
  • layer 4 slices of bread with the mozzarella & gruyere cheese.
  • top cheese with 1/4 cup of mushrooms & drizzle with balsamic reduction if desired.
  • place second slice of bread butter side up and transfer to grill pan.
  • over medium heat grill until bread is golden brown & cheese is melted. flip grill pan once during this process.
  • serve immediately with a side of tomato soup for dipping!

asiago chicken cacciatore

 

who doesn't love a good one pan recipe for dinner? throw all the ingredients into a skillet & let it simmer away until you are ready to eat! this chicken cacciatore is almost that easy. it is so flavourful & full of healthy goodness too. this is one of my favourite italian dishes to make & eat. when i was in university, the italian restaurant downtown made the best chicken cacciatore ever. whenever we wanted to treat ourselves to a meal out, we would go here & you bet i ordered the cacciatore every single time. it reminded me of my grandparents cooking & the simple italian flavours they cooked with.

i like to add a few additional ingredients to my version such as carrots for sweetness & mushrooms for extra heartiness. i also stir in saputo's shredded asiago cheese right before serving, because the cheese gives so much flavour to the dish! i mean honestly, cheese really does make everything better.

so if you are looking for a quick meal to whip up without sacraficing any flavour, this recipe is for you! perfect for a weeknight or weekend dinner, i think everyone will be going back for seconds. i like to serve mine with a fresh baked baguette for dipping, but serving it with a side of pasta is delicious too. enjoy! xo

ingredients

  • 2 pounds chicken thighs, bone in & skin on
  • salt & black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled & diced
  • 1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 3/4 cup low sodium chicken stock,
  • 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted & halved
  • 1/2 cup saputo shredded asiago cheeese, plus more for serving
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, thyme or oregano, to garnish

directions

  • season the chicken thighs with salt & pepper. roll each piece in flour & shake off to remove any excess flour.
  • in a large skillet over medium heat add the olive oil. once heated add the chicken pieces to the pan. cook for three minutes on each side, or until golden brown. transfer to a plate & set aside until ready to use.
  • in the same skillet add the garlic, pepper, onion, carrot, mushrooms & oregano. season with salt & pepper. cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
  • add the wine & simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
  • add the chicken stock, diced tomatoes, capers & olives. stir until combined.
  • add the chicken thighs back to the pan & bring sauce to a simmer.
  • turn heat down to medium-low & continue cooking for an additional 25 minutes.
  • once chicken is fully cooked, remove from heat & stir in the asiago cheese.
  • serve immediately. garnish with fresh herbs & additional asiago cheese.

this post was created in partnership with saputo! the opinions on this blog, as always are my own. you can follow ingredients by saputo on facebook, instagram + pinterest for more recipe inspirations. 

white peach + coconut clafoutis

 

as promised, one more peach recipe before apples & pumpkin spice start taking over the blogosphere! this one features white peaches & coconut in the most delicious clafoutis. the white-fleshed peaches tend to be less acidic & a little sweeter then a regular peach. as for the clafoutis, this dish can be served for both breakfast and dessert! when serving it for dessert, i like to top mine with a generous dollop of sweet whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. if you are not familiar with the clafoutis, it is a rustic french baked dessert that features fresh fruit (typically cherries) & a custard-like batter. the clafoutis is a simple dessert to make that gets served right from the baking dish! i like to make these year round & switch up the fruit to match the season.

to add a little extra wholesomeness to this version, i used half bob's red mill all-purpose flour & half whole wheat flour. i love the rustic flair the whole wheat flour adds to a dish. plus, it makes things a little healthy when baking with a whole grain flour. so celebrate the last couple weeks of peach season by baking yourself a clafoutis!

p.s. i can't believe we are at the end of august, where did the summer go?! it seems to go by faster every year. thank goodness we have pumpkins to look forward to next:)

ingredients

directions

  • preheat the oven to 350 degrees. grease an 8-inch round or square baking dish with butter.
  • in a blender add the eggs, sugar, cream, milk, butter, flours, vanilla, salt & nutmeg. blend until smooth, about 60 seconds. let batter rest for 15 minutes. fold in the coconut.
  • pour half of the batter into the prepared baking dish & bake for 10 minutes.
  • carefully remove the baking dish from oven and scatter in the peach slices, covering most of the surface area.
  • pour remaining batter over the peaches & bake for an additional 45 minutes, or until the clafoutis is golden on top.
  • let cool for 15 minutes. dust with powdered sugar, top with additional sliced peaches if desired & serve!