texas ranch dinner
Four Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 oz Italian sausage, ground
1 small shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
2 cups softened cream cheese
1 cup four cheese blend, shredded
1 cup parmesan cheese
6 large crimini mushrooms, scooped out to hold topping
1 cup buttered Panko bread crumps
¼ cup fresh chives, chopped
1.) Heat olive oil in skillet and sauté ground sausage until brown. Remove to a plate. Add shallot and garlic to skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add fresh thyme and sauté another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
2.) In a large mixing bowl, combine contents of skillet with cooked sausage, cream cheese, four cheese blend, and ½ cup parmesan cheese (retain ½ cup for later). Salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands or a large spoon, mix contents of bowl until thoroughly combined.
3.) Stuff each mushroom with a generous portion of cheese mixture, slightly rounding on top. Coat the top of each mushroom with Panko bread crumbs and place in greased cast iron skillet or baking dish. Top each mushroom with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Remove mushrooms from oven. Sprinkle with fresh chives and serve.
Slow Braised Short Ribs with Peppercorn Au Jus, Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Zest, and Four Cheese Au Gratin Potatoes
Ingredients
6 short ribs, bone in
6 stalks celery, halved
3 medium carrots, halved
1 medium white onion, roughly sliced
½ cup whole peeled garlic cloves
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1-1/2 cup red wine
1 carton beef stock
1 shallot, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ stick butter
2 tablespoons flour
¼ cup whole peppercorns
1.) In a large braising pot, add celery, carrots, onion, garlic cloves, thyme, Italian seasoning, red wine and beef stock.
2.) Drizzle short ribs with olive oil and generously salt and pepper both sides. Heat skillet to medium high heat with ½ cup olive oil and sear short ribs on both sides. Nestle short ribs into braising pot, cover, and bake at 350 degrees for 4 hours. Remove short ribs to a plate, and strain liquid from braising pot into a bowl.
3.) To make peppercorn au jus, heat two tablespoons olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add diced shallot and minced garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add butter, a pinch of salt and pepper, and flour. Stir in liquid from braising pot. Add peppercorns. Bring mixture to a slight boil and remove from heat.
Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Zest
Ingredients
1 bunch asparagus
1 fresh lemon
salt and pepper
olive oil
Trim asparagus and arrange evenly on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Remove asparagus from oven and zest with fresh lemon.
Texas Au Gratin Potatoes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 stick butter
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
2 cups four cheese blend, shredded
2 cups grated parmesan
6 thinly sliced medium potatoes
1.) In skillet, heat olive oil to medium and add shallot, garlic, butter and thyme. Once butter has melted, add flour, milk, heavy cream, 1 cup four cheese blend, and 1 cup grated parmesan. Stir until thickened and remove from heat.
2.) In a greased cast iron skillet, arrange a layer of sliced potatoes on bottom of skillet. Pour a layer of cheese sauce over potatoes. Sprinkle four blend cheese and parmesan cheese over top. Add sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add a second layer repeating the above. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly and brown on top.
To plate, start with a serving of au gratin potatoes, then a serving of asparagus. Add a braised short rib to the plate and liberally spoon peppercorn au jus over it.
Texas Bread Pudding with Caramel Pecan Sauce
Ingredients
¾ loaf Texas toast
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar
½ cups brown sugar
1 stick butter, cubed
1 cup flour
1.) Cut up Texas toast into big chunks and place into a greased casserole dish.
2.) In a large mixing bowl, combine milk, heavy cream, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sugar and whisk together. Pour mixture over Texas toast in casserole dish.
3.) In large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, butter, and flour. Using a pastry cutter, mash together until mixture has a crumbly consistency. Sprinkle mixture evenly over top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
2 sticks butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup crumbled pecan pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy cream
1.) In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter, then stir in sugar, pecans, vanilla, and heavy cream. Once bubbling, remove from heat.
To plate, cut bread pudding casserole into serving pieces and ladle caramel sauce over top.