Crosshatch-Cut Stuffed Bread

From my understanding, the original basis of this recipe came from The Girl Who Ate Everything. I haven't read that particular blog as yet, but I have seen various versions of this recipe show up on other food blogs and on Pinterest.

So I decided to make my own version and see how it came out. There are multiple options for this, as you can pretty much stuff what ever ingredients in here that you want to have your own impressive display of cheesy bready goodness.


Ingredients

One loaf of sourdough bread
1 package of provolone slices (or have it cut at the deli)
1 package of mozzarella slices (again you can also have this cut at the deli)
Pepperoni Slices
1 Package of button mushrooms
1 bunch green onions
1/2 stick of butter

Preparation

Slice your bread loaf in parallel lines in one direction and then another set going the other direction, making a crosshatch pattern of cuts through the bread. Don't cut it all the way through though, just down to maybe about a quarter inch above the bottom of the loaf. The cuts should be about an inch apart. After cutting, put your bread on a foil line cookie sheet, it will make clean up much easier!

Take the provolone and mozzarella slices and stuff them down into the cut open sections of bread, alternating the cheeses. Or you could even do provolone on one side and mozzarella on the other. Then take the pepperoni slices and stick them throughout your bread as well.

Rough chop the mushrooms and slice up your green onions (use both the white and the green parts). In a large skillet, add 1/4 stick of butter and melt it over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, toss in the mushrooms and onions and cook them down for about 10 minutes. Then using a spoon, add the mushroom/onion mixture to the crevices in the bread with the cheese and pepperoni. You can use the spoon to push down your mixture to get it all in there. Then take your remaining 1/4 stick of butter and put it in the skillet that cooked the mushrooms and onions in. Melt it down over medium high heat and then drizzle the butter over your entire stuffed loaf.

Cover with tin foil and then put in a 350 F oven for about 20-25 minutes. (I did mine for only 15 minutes and the cheese down in the center didn't melt quite enough). Remove your bread from oven, transfer to a large serving dish and you're good to go! Great snack for Superbowl Sunday, or add a side salad and call it dinner. Or add a craft beer with a side of Serpico and you have a guys movie afternoon. Whatever you choose to do, you won't have any problem eating the damn thing. Its tasty.

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

Well it seems as though everything is about food and recipes so far, but I have not currently been in gardening, brewing or project mode.  This recipe is not for the dieter or the the weak of heart (since this will probably cause any working arteries you have to seize up), however if you aren't worried about that and just want something that is easy to make and damn delicious, then please proceed with wild abandon.

You have a couple of options here with the chicken. You can buy raw chicken and then cook and shred it to your preference, or you can take the easy way out like I did, and just buy a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store and dress it up from there. With cooking and prep this took me a little under an hour to make.

Ingredients

1 Rotisserie chicken
2 Cups Monterey Jack Cheese (shredded)
3/4 stick of butter
2 Cups chicken broth
3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 4 oz. can of Green Chiles
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (feel free to add more for your taste preference)
1 tsp. cracked or ground black pepper
10 flour tortillas
1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro chopped

Preparation

Remove about 2 cups worth of the chicken and shred it with a fork and knife. You can leave the skin on as well as it makes a tasty addition. If you have used raw chicken and cooked it yourself, just make about two cups shredded. Add the chicken to a sauce pan or large non stick fry pan. Put on a very low heat and add the cumin, garlic powder and black pepper. Stir well to ensure all the chicken is incorporated well with your spices and leave on low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a sauce pan on medium high heat melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, whisk in your flour. Continue to whisk for a couple minutes until the butter and flour are bubbly and thick. Then add the chicken broth. Whisk together and then leave on heat until the mixture thickens in consistency and  begins to bubble. Turn heat down to low so as not to boil the mixture as you are now going to incorporate your sour cream (but you don't want it to curdle in a super high heat). Whisk in the sour cream and then add the green chiles. Leave on the heat for a couple more minutes while continuing to stir and then turn off heat.

Now that the chicken has cooled some, you will add 1 cup of the monterey jack cheese to the chicken and mix it together. Put some of your chicken and cheese mixture on a tortilla and then roll it up and place it in a glass baking dish. Continue to do this with each tortilla until you have filled the bottom of your dish. I think I used a 9x12 pan and it held 10 of these, which used all of my chicken and cheese. Now pour your sour cream and green chile sauce over all of the tortillas. Add the remaining 1 cup of monterey jack cheese on top. Bake in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes. Then remove from the oven and turn your broiler on high. Place the dish under the broiler for about 1-2 minutes or until your cheese on top gets a nice crispy brown.

When you serve your enchiladas, top them with the fresh chopped cilantro. I also included a side of black beans. (1 15oz. can heated with 1 tsp of cumin).

These enchiladas are rich and tasty!