Shells Alfredo with Caramelized Onions #Boursin

Who would not bow down to butter, cream and cheese!  Alfredo di Lelio, after whom this dish was named was a restauranteur in Rome in the early 1900's.  Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, on honeymoon in Rome, dined on this dish every night at Alfredo's restaurant.  
Once you try this recipe, you will never buy pre-made Alfredo sauce again.  This version is a little lighter, but still  totally decadent and off the charts delicious and #Boursin makes it easy!  #Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs has the perfect, mouthwatering recipe in a creamy blend of real cheese, savory herbs with just the right amount of garlic.  You can use traditional fettucine or any pasta.  I chose shells to trap all that delicious sauce!

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. medium shell macaroni 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1/2 large onion, sliced thin 1 5.2 oz. #Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs 1-1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup frozen peas (optional) 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Salt and Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, melt better over medium-high heat.  Add sliced onions and saute until golden brown, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.
Bring 4 quarts of lightly salted water to a boil and add macaroni.  Cook until al dente, according to package directions.  Drain.
Remove onions from saute pan using a slotted spoon, set aside.  Add 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter to same saute pan.  Reduce heat to medium.  When butter has melted, add #Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs and low-sodium chicken broth.  Whisk to combine.  Bring to a gently bubble and add peas (if using).  Simmer 5 minutes.  Add cooked macaroni to pan and simmer an additional 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Sauce will thicken upon standing.   Top with crispy fried onions and enjoy! Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time:  30 minutes Servings: 4
For more serving ideas to go www.boursincheese.com Follow Boursin on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest I have received this product for free from Smiley360 in exchange for my honest review.  You can joing Smiley360 at www.smiley360.com!

Everything Bagel Cheese Ball

Everyone loves a cheese ball to snack during the Holidays. Round, fun and tasty, cheese balls were born to party!  They are also one of the easiest cold appetizers to prepare.  If anything goes, then you'll love this Everything Bagel Cheese Ball, loaded with seeds, garlic and onions.

Ingredients:

• 1 8-ounce brick cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• 1 cup sharp White Vermont Cheddar, shredded
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
• 2 Tbsp. dehydrated onion
• 2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
• 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
• 2 Tbsp. dried garlic flakes
• Coarse sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• Bagel chips, for serving

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, horseradish, cheddar, scallions and bacon.  Form the cheese mixture into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap to chill for at least 1 hours.

On a small plate, mix together the onion, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic flakes, salt and pepper.  Once cheese ball has set, roll the cheese ball in the everything bagel seasoning mix and plate with some bagel chips alongside.

~Adapted from Rachel Ray

Easy Homemade Sauerkraut

I've searched the internet for ways to make homemade sauerkraut the old-fashioned way - in a fermenting crock.  Frankly, I don't have the patience to wait!  It was hard enough waiting for my Naturally Fermented "Crock" Garlic Dill Pickles to be ready!  This recipe is so simple - there is some waiting time - but I think it's worth it.  The kraut is not as crispy as the bagged kraut from the supermarket, but it has the same great "pucker".  I've been eating this straight from the jar.  You can make one jar or 50!

Ingredients: Cabbage Canning Salt Sugar White Vinegar Pint or Quart Ball Jars You'll want to be sure that your jars and lids are sterilized so I always begin by washing and scalding them in boiling water or run them through the dishwasher. Next, set your water on to boil.  How much water you need depends on how many jars of sauerkraut you are preparing While the water is boiling, coarsely chop the cabbage.

Pack the chopped cabbage into the prepared jars.  You want the cabbage to be in there tight but leave an inch or two of head room.  Don't pack the cabbage too tight because you need the water to filter through the cabbage.  

Add 1/2 tsp. canning salt, 1/2 tsp. sugar and 1 Tbsp. white vinegar to each jar. Pour boiling water into jar within 1/2" of the top.  Push down cabbage with a wooden spoon to remove any air bubbles.  Wipe off rim of jar with a clean, damp cloth. FOR QUART JARS, DOUBLE INGREDIENTS.

Place heated lids on top of jar and seal.  Place in a cool dark place for 7-14 days.  Some juice may leak out of the top, but this is ok.  Place the jars on a small tray if you have one.  Cabbage will turn from green to a whitish-yellow.  Once kraut is ready, process in water bath for 20 minutes.  Kraut will be ready to eat in two weeks.

Refrigerate after opening. ~Adapted from Aunt Genny's Sauerkraut Note:  There seems to be some question as to whether this is pickled cabbage or fermented sauerkraut.  According to the dictionary, "Fermentation is the conversion of a carbohydrate such as sugar into acid"  With this definition, this recipe is the fermentation that occurs when you set the jars aside for the 7-14 days.  The combination of the cabbage, sugar, vinegar, salt and hot water causes the reaction, the same reaction you get in a crock, just on a smaller scale. ~The Country Farm Home

Salted Caramel Brownie Brittle with Nestle Toll House DelightFulls

Are you a brownie lover that loves those crispy bits on the edges and corners? These brownies are a crispy and crunchy wafer that gives you those edges and corners in each bit. #DelightFulls Filled Baking Morsels bring you a new and exciting way to bake! Their innovative technology provides the same great Nestle Toll House Chocolate you know and love, now filled with 4 delicious flavors. Slightly larger than a regular morsel, these morsels allow you to put a special twist on traditional recipes like a cookie or a brownie, or open up a variety of new fun recipes to try! The DelighFulls filled morsels hold their shape when they bake, and can be used whole, cut in half, or coarsely chopped for a surprising delight of flavor and color in a baked good (not to mention popping them in your mouth right out of the bag!) It's the hottest new snack!  I thought these would be perfect for these crispy brownies and I'm going to try all the flavors to change up these sweet treats.  Besides the Milk Chocolate with Caramel, they have Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate with Mint and Dark Chocolate with Cherry!  Any of these would be great for this Nestle Toll House Holiday Recipe I added walnuts and a sprinkling of coarse sea salt.

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. baking powder 2 large egg whites 1 cup sugar 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder 1/2 tsp. espresso powder 1/4 cup canola oil 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1 Tbsp. dry milk powder 1/3 cup Nestle Toll House Milk Chocolate Morsels with Caramel Filling 1/2 cup chopped walnuts Coarse sea salt (optional) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line a jelly roll pan or baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, oil and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the milk powder and flour and beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread the batter on the parchment paper using a spoon or spatula to spread it as thin as possible. Sprinkle with walnuts and sea salt.

Bake the brittle for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cut into squares using a pizza wheel or knife. 

 Do not separate the squares.  Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan.  When the brittle is cool, break into pieces.  

For some Deliciously New Holiday DelightFull Recipes and product information visit Nestle Toll House! 

 Today’s post is sponsored by Nestle Toll House, but my love for their DelightFulls filled morsels is all my own!