Mushroom roulade

This is so old*, I couldn't find it anywhere. Thankfully, Julie still had it!!
I've posted it here so that I don't lose it again.
Thanks, Ju!

Btw, I always put the cheese on top rather than in with the mushrooms (as well?) - looks nicer, otherwise it's so pale.
Also, I always sauté onions with the mushrooms and possibly garlic; I'm sure that's much nicer!

(*it's so old, it's typewritten!)

Gorgonzola mushrooms

We made this for our 25th wedding anniversary party - it is so easy and people love it.

In fact, it's so easy, there's not much to change on it.... read on.

Gino D'Acampo's combination of strong, blue cheese with sweet honey is a very sexy one and these mushrooms are great as a starter or light supper.

Serves: 2

Cooking time: short

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 large button mushrooms

• 50g runny honey

• 200g Gorgonzola cheese (at room temperature)

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 garlic clove, cut in half

• Salt and pepper

• Rocket to serve

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.

• Carefully remove the stalk from each mushroom and discard to create a cavity ready to be stuffed.

• Rub a little honey on the inside of the mushrooms with the tip of your finger then stuff each one with 1–2 tsp of Gorgonzola.

• Place the mushrooms on a baking tray, season and drizzle with the oil along with some more honey.

• Cook in the oven for about 10 minutes. Arrange the stuffed mushrooms on a large serving plate with a rocket salad.

Artichoke Bread

Jean brought this when we had our annual soup day. It was so delicious, the kids kept eating it too. You could use non-fat or low-fat sour cream to make it a little healthier.

¼ cup butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts or artichoke bottoms
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
½ cup sour cream
1 loaf (large) French bread or two small loaves, unsliced.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in large skillet; add garlic and sesame seeds. Cook, stirring constantly, until sesame seeds are slightly browned. Remove from heat and stir in next three ingredients. Set aside.

Cut bread lengthwise and scoop out centers, leaving a shell of about ½ inch. Place soft removed bread in hot oven to slightly dry it out (10 minutes or so). Put dried bread in food processor to make fine bread crumbs. Add crumbs to artichoke and cheese mixture in the pan and stir well. Texture should be that of a thick dip. It shouldn’t be runny. But if it looks too dry, add a bit more sour cream or milk to loosen it. (I think mine was a bit on the dry side, but that might have been from transporting and then re-heating; not sure).

Place loaf halves on cookie sheet, cover lightly with oil-sprayed foil, and bake about 25 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5 to 7 minutes to brown top, or pop it under broiler.

Allow the bread to set for 5 minutes or so; then slice and serve. Can be an appetizer or dinner accompaniment.

Halloween 3-Cheese Baked Macaroni & Cheese

This is another good one for crowds. A big hit at my office potluck.

2 lbs elbow macaroni
1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter, divided 5 & 3 Tbsp
5 Tbsp flour (APF or whole wheat)
2 Tbsp ground mustard
1 Tbsp paprika
4-5 cups milk
1-2 bay leaves
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 lb medium yellow Cheddar cheese, grated
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese or American Neufchatel cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups breadcrumbs (from whole wheat bread, or Panko)
1 Tbsp dried parsley

In very large pot of salted water, boil macaroni according to package directions, until al dente. Drain and rinse with water to stop cooking and prevent sticking.

In large saucepan, melt 5 Tbsp butter. Whisk in flour to make a roux and cook for a few minutes. Add milk and incorporate with whisk - let roux absorb milk a little at a time until all milk is incorporated and you have a thick sauce. Whisk in ground mustard and paprika and add chopped onion and bay leaves. Allow to simmer on very low heat for about 5-10 mins.

Remove bay leaf, then add grated Cheddar cheese, stirring while it melts into the sauce.

Put macaroni into large baking dish (eg. deep glass casserole dish or oven-proof crockpot insert). Pour Cheddar sauce over macaroni, mix through and then stir in cream cheese/Neufchatel in pieces so it's evenly distributed, does not have to be totally mixed in. At this point you can allow to cool, cover and refrigerate until needed or continue on...

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt 3 tbsp butter in saute pan and add breadcrumbs. Toss to coat. Mix in Parmesan cheese and parsley then pour over macaroni. Pat down lightly, bake for 30 mins or until topping is slightly browned.