Eggs and cheese and dinner and lack of direction
November 30, 2017 4:13 PM Subscribe
I have eggs, cream, aged gouda, regular gouda, fancy blue cheese, and cheddar. I'd like something rich and lovely, and importantly, easy. I need to figure out dinner in the next fifteen minutes, preferably and annoyingly (sorry) not an omelet, souffle, or frittata -- I actually make those often. But I might be able to repurpose relevant ingredients in another application -- so if you have discovered blue cheese and apples is the best thing ever, let me know!
Pretty much everything above the fold. It's New England, there is a fire in the fireplace.
The president is a monster, and I have good cheese.
Potentially relevant: I have good wine and was planning a salad.
I was thinking dutch baby but there isn't as much inspiration as there is for sweet dutch babies. Ideas?
Other ingredients: onions, scallions, garlic, cream cheese, red onions, pickled jalapenos, black olives, green pepper, apples, fresh rosemary, fresh parsley....
No worries if I don't make the Dinner Tonight deadline, this comes up for me weekly. And I'd break my frittata rule for something inspiring (I usually make frittatas with chard, caramelized onions, and cheddar--it's very good, but it's a standard recipe for my routine.)
Pretty much everything above the fold. It's New England, there is a fire in the fireplace.
The president is a monster, and I have good cheese.
Potentially relevant: I have good wine and was planning a salad.
I was thinking dutch baby but there isn't as much inspiration as there is for sweet dutch babies. Ideas?
Other ingredients: onions, scallions, garlic, cream cheese, red onions, pickled jalapenos, black olives, green pepper, apples, fresh rosemary, fresh parsley....
No worries if I don't make the Dinner Tonight deadline, this comes up for me weekly. And I'd break my frittata rule for something inspiring (I usually make frittatas with chard, caramelized onions, and cheddar--it's very good, but it's a standard recipe for my routine.)
If those are literally your only ingredients, maybe save the eggs for breakfast and make a creamy, cheesy soup with with onions and... usually I'd use broccoli, but maybe green pepper wouldn't be gross? One way to find out, I suppose.
If you had any sort of pasta, I'd say mac & cheese.
A salad with apple slices and blue cheese sounds good to me.
(Disclaimer: I am not a chef or even a good cook.)
posted by AppleTurnover at 4:19 PM on November 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
If you had any sort of pasta, I'd say mac & cheese.
A salad with apple slices and blue cheese sounds good to me.
(Disclaimer: I am not a chef or even a good cook.)
posted by AppleTurnover at 4:19 PM on November 30, 2017 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: (Just to be clear, I have pretty much the normal kitchen ingredients. Forgot butter, though. I do have butter. And I really want butter's involvement.)
Also I have parmesan cheese.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 4:23 PM on November 30, 2017
Also I have parmesan cheese.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 4:23 PM on November 30, 2017
Best answer: Improvise your wine, cheese and cream into a fondue
posted by glasseyes at 4:24 PM on November 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by glasseyes at 4:24 PM on November 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
Something-something cheddar taco shells? Into which you could place various otherwise-saladable ingredients?
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 4:29 PM on November 30, 2017
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 4:29 PM on November 30, 2017
a cheesy quiche, including your peppers, onions and olives?
posted by runincircles at 4:34 PM on November 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by runincircles at 4:34 PM on November 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
Spaghetti carbonara? You would need bacon though...
posted by EatMyHat at 4:35 PM on November 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by EatMyHat at 4:35 PM on November 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Egg Kejriwal! We use the New York Times recipe, but there are other recipes out there if you’re not a subscriber. It’s basically a spicy egg sandwich on buttered toast with cheddar cheese, mustard, red onion, and chilis that is much more than the sum of its parts.
posted by radiomayonnaise at 4:37 PM on November 30, 2017 [10 favorites]
posted by radiomayonnaise at 4:37 PM on November 30, 2017 [10 favorites]
Best answer: Preheat your oven to like, 350 or so , core an apple and put it in a baking dish with melted butter and a little of that good wine. Stuff the core with a combination of smoked gouda, whatever nuts you have, a little rosemary, more butter, and a little sugar depending on the type of apple. Bake that sucker while you have your salad and egg course, then you get an ooeygooey cheesy baked apple situation for a semi-sweet dessert (and cheese course all in one!) and the house smells amazing.
If you have good bread do soft boiled eggs, make good garlic toast that you've rubbed with garlic and butter or oil, and make a quick tomato sauce with onion and parsley and dried herbs for dipping. Easy and a great combination of textures.
posted by Mizu at 4:40 PM on November 30, 2017 [6 favorites]
If you have good bread do soft boiled eggs, make good garlic toast that you've rubbed with garlic and butter or oil, and make a quick tomato sauce with onion and parsley and dried herbs for dipping. Easy and a great combination of textures.
posted by Mizu at 4:40 PM on November 30, 2017 [6 favorites]
Actually, blue cheese and apples is the best combination ever. If you have bread, this could be a beautiful sandwich. Thinly slice that onion and get to browning or, if you have the patience, caramelizing. Thin apple slices, cheddar, blue cheese, rosemary, and onions are dreamy grilled cheese filling. Or, use the apple and parsley for a salad, with walnuts or pecans or whatever nut you have on hand, and a simple vinaigrette.
posted by esoterrica at 4:40 PM on November 30, 2017 [10 favorites]
posted by esoterrica at 4:40 PM on November 30, 2017 [10 favorites]
If you have any root vegetables a lovely cheesy gratin is very doable.
posted by FakePalindrome at 4:51 PM on November 30, 2017
posted by FakePalindrome at 4:51 PM on November 30, 2017
Best answer: Okay, probably not a main course but so amazingly tasty. Cut up the various softer cheese into cubes and large grate the harder cheese (parm) but not the rinds, please. Throw in the blender with a few splashes of white wine. Blend. Cool in the fridge for a bit. You have crackers?
Better yet, here's an Alton Brown recipe. Probably where I got this from in the first place, many years ago.
posted by bz at 5:04 PM on November 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
Better yet, here's an Alton Brown recipe. Probably where I got this from in the first place, many years ago.
posted by bz at 5:04 PM on November 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
It's no richer than an egg by itself, but I found my attempts to pull off Wikipedia's description of Chinese steamed eggs to be an interesting combination of flavors and textures.
posted by XMLicious at 5:11 PM on November 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by XMLicious at 5:11 PM on November 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
Gougeres! https://www.davidlebovitz.com/gougeres-french-cheese-puffs/ Really easy and SO delicious.
posted by Cygnet at 5:32 PM on November 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Cygnet at 5:32 PM on November 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
Sounds to me like spaghetti carbonara, with black olives in place of the salt pork.
posted by Bruce H. at 5:49 PM on November 30, 2017
posted by Bruce H. at 5:49 PM on November 30, 2017
I have to ask: what did you end up making for dinner?
posted by AppleTurnover at 6:06 PM on November 30, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by AppleTurnover at 6:06 PM on November 30, 2017 [5 favorites]
You already ate, but I thought of scallion pancakes, eggs in a creamy cheese sauce, and fried apple slices. Very fatty and comforting.
posted by kapers at 7:19 PM on November 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by kapers at 7:19 PM on November 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
Too late now, but if you have a surfeit of apples and blue cheese again: puff or shortbread pastry crust (defrost or parable as usual), thinly sliced apples, dot with blue cheese, sprinkle with walnuts, drizzle over maple syrup or honey, throw on some thyme. Bake until golden and bubbling and lovely.
Alternatively, crepes + apples thinly sliced which have spent a bit on time in a pan with butter and a dusting of cinnamon + Gouda or cheddar is lovely. (I've thrown in some deeply caramelized onions too if you're into that kind of sweet/savoury thing.)
posted by jetlagaddict at 10:34 PM on November 30, 2017
Alternatively, crepes + apples thinly sliced which have spent a bit on time in a pan with butter and a dusting of cinnamon + Gouda or cheddar is lovely. (I've thrown in some deeply caramelized onions too if you're into that kind of sweet/savoury thing.)
posted by jetlagaddict at 10:34 PM on November 30, 2017
So many possibilities, but when I'm in that situation, I very often make pasta with blue cheese sauce. This is because I want to nestle in next to the fireplace with a glass of that red wine and have something comforting yet with an edge that can go with the wine. An adult mac 'n cheese, so to say.
There are many ways to do this, but I just boil some penne rigate, and melt the cheese slowly in some cream. When the pasta is ready to eat, I pour some of the pasta water into the pan where the cheese and cream are simmering gently and then I add the drained pasta, a whole egg and some grated parmesan cheese.
If I want to be a little more fancy, a salad on the side, made with apples, oranges, endive and walnuts all with a garlicky vinaigrette can be a crunchy and deliciously fresh counterpoint to the cheesy soft pungency of the pasta.
posted by mumimor at 5:01 AM on December 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
There are many ways to do this, but I just boil some penne rigate, and melt the cheese slowly in some cream. When the pasta is ready to eat, I pour some of the pasta water into the pan where the cheese and cream are simmering gently and then I add the drained pasta, a whole egg and some grated parmesan cheese.
If I want to be a little more fancy, a salad on the side, made with apples, oranges, endive and walnuts all with a garlicky vinaigrette can be a crunchy and deliciously fresh counterpoint to the cheesy soft pungency of the pasta.
posted by mumimor at 5:01 AM on December 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
This made me think of Alpine Eggs, a 1973 Delia Smith classic.... easily adaptable to your tasty cheese mix. Cheese omelette like, but in an undeconstructed, inside-out kind of way.
posted by protorp at 5:45 AM on December 1, 2017
posted by protorp at 5:45 AM on December 1, 2017
When I have good eggs and cheese I like to make savory crepes with egg toppers. I got this recipe from the Vegetarian Suppers cookbook but I don't have it on hand - we just improvize as needed.
(1) Make savory crepes. Eat the first one, which is always sub-par, up as a snack.
(2) Fill crepes with whatever cheese you have lying around (cheddar is a good base and then add smoked gouda, blue cheese, or whatever), fold into thirds like a letter, and slightly pan fry in butter on both sides until cheese is melted.
--Step 3 can be done at the same time as step 2 if you have multiple people, or keep the crepes warming in the oven for step 3.
(3) Cook eggs over easy or sunny-side up, season as desired (we put smoked paprika on everything). Serve on top of the crepes. Top with a little bit of grated cheddar.
I find that 3 medium or 2 large crepes and 2 eggs is a good supper. Extra crepes can be stacked flat and frozen for next time.
posted by muddgirl at 6:51 AM on December 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
(1) Make savory crepes. Eat the first one, which is always sub-par, up as a snack.
(2) Fill crepes with whatever cheese you have lying around (cheddar is a good base and then add smoked gouda, blue cheese, or whatever), fold into thirds like a letter, and slightly pan fry in butter on both sides until cheese is melted.
--Step 3 can be done at the same time as step 2 if you have multiple people, or keep the crepes warming in the oven for step 3.
(3) Cook eggs over easy or sunny-side up, season as desired (we put smoked paprika on everything). Serve on top of the crepes. Top with a little bit of grated cheddar.
I find that 3 medium or 2 large crepes and 2 eggs is a good supper. Extra crepes can be stacked flat and frozen for next time.
posted by muddgirl at 6:51 AM on December 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I have to ask: what did you end up making for dinner?
I couldn't decide and wound up going with a dutch baby with cheddar and scallions. It was not as exciting as I might have hoped but I have lots of great ideas now and it's a brand new day filled with the promise of delicious fats and reasons to rage-eat.
These are fantastic ideas; thanks everyone. I have all the same ingredients today. Best answered my 'probably will try first' but they are all inspiring.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 6:55 AM on December 1, 2017
I couldn't decide and wound up going with a dutch baby with cheddar and scallions. It was not as exciting as I might have hoped but I have lots of great ideas now and it's a brand new day filled with the promise of delicious fats and reasons to rage-eat.
These are fantastic ideas; thanks everyone. I have all the same ingredients today. Best answered my 'probably will try first' but they are all inspiring.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 6:55 AM on December 1, 2017
pasta with blue cheese is fantastic, and the idea of adding an egg per mumimor's suggestion above sounds inspired.
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:05 AM on December 1, 2017
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:05 AM on December 1, 2017
Eggs poached in tomato sauce is a good choice and easily topped with cheese.
posted by mmascolino at 11:17 AM on December 1, 2017
posted by mmascolino at 11:17 AM on December 1, 2017
Similar to mmascolino's suggestion is the North African / Middle Eastern dish shakshuka.
posted by XMLicious at 3:21 PM on December 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by XMLicious at 3:21 PM on December 1, 2017 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by noloveforned at 4:16 PM on November 30, 2017 [1 favorite]