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8 Cinco de Mayo Recipes from Willow Bird Baking

Thanks, Foodie, for sponsoring this post, 8 Cinco de Mayo Recipes from Willow Bird Baking!

Mexican and Tex-Mex food is my all-time favorite. I love Thai, Indian, Japanese, Greek, French, Cuban — I could eat my way through just about every country — but Mexican is the cuisine I always crave. Want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year with a Tex-Mex feast? Above are some of my favorite recipes from around the webz, and below are 8 of my own Tex-Mex creations! Enjoy!

Easy Taco Grilled Mini Pizzas

This is the quick and easy way to get Tex-Mex deliciousness on your table. Difficulty level: Easy.

Sweet Tater & Chorizo Hand Tarts

Tender pie pastry with a delicious sweet potato and chorizo filling! Difficulty level: Intermediate (includes a quick and easy adaptation using ready-made crescent rolls!)

Creamy Chicken and Green Chile Enchiladas

I made this recipe a LONG time ago before I took very good photos, but trust me: these things are so good! A ready-made rotisserie chicken makes this a quick and easy choice. Difficulty level: Easy.

Naked Vegan Tacos with Corn Relish and Cilantro-Lime Slaw

Bright, healthy, and so delicious! Difficulty level: Easy.

Taco Stuffed Crescent Rolls

Again, don’t let the old photo fool you. This is one of the BEST recipes on Willow Bird Baking! So quick, easy, and incredibly delicious! Difficulty level: Easy.

Cheap and Simple Taco Pockets

Want some taco pockets, but don’t want to use ready made dough? Here’s an all-homemade version! Difficulty level: Intermediate.

Savory Sweet Potato & Chorizo “Cinnamon Rolls”

These savory cinnamon rolls are so delectable with dinner! Difficulty level: Intermediate.

Sausage & Corn Chile Con Queso Taco Ring

My all-time favorite Willow Bird Baking Tex-Mex recipe! The filling in this baby is INSANE. The ring itself also looks impressive but is so easy to make! Difficulty level: Easy

Tres Leches Coconut Cake Trifle

Don’t forget dessert! If you love coconut cake and tres leches cake, you’re gonna want to throw yourself face first into this. Difficulty level: Intermediate.

Flan Tres Leches Cake

Can’t decide between flan and tres leches cake? I got ya covered! Difficulty level: Intermediate.

April 28, 2014 by Julie Ruble | 1 Comment

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Easy AND Delicious Sunday Dinners

Okay, no judging. But I asked you guys what you were eating for dinner, and while I got a few “spaghetti carbonaras” and even one full Thanksgiving-style turkey dinner (!!), I also got “leftovers,” takeout, and my personal favorite, “Thin Mints.” (I happen to know that one comes from a gal who loves fresh vegetables — even really horrible ones like celery — so I’ll let her off the hook.) But seriously, let’s chat about easy AND delicious Sunday dinners.

Thanks, Foodie, for sponsoring this post.

Lately, my dinners are frozen meals. If I’d given up freezer food for Lent, I’d have already starved. Of course I bake like a fiend all weekend, but the closest I’ve come to cooking in quite a while is making avocado toast. So I’m in no position to tell you how to live your life.

But recently I started thinking about all the easy weeknight dinners I made last year. Even though those meals were simple enough to make on a weeknight, I realized that many of them were also snazzy enough for a special Sunday dinner. And even I can manage to cook ONE night a week. I think.

I thought I’d gather those easy AND delicious Sunday dinner recipes in one spot. In the slideshow above, you’ll find some amazing options from my friends around the web. And here are a few of mine:

Hot Sausage & Tomatoes Over Fried Polenta. This is one of my favorite simple meals. I can’t believe how great it tastes considering how easy it is!

Oven Baked Macaroni and Cheese. This is my favorite macaroni and cheese recipe in the world, and you don’t have to cook the pasta first OR make a roux — and adding breakfast sausage makes it a hearty dinner!

Sausage & Corn Chile Con Queso Taco Ring: looks fancy, but super easy to create!

Warm Chickpea Salad with Shallots & Red Wine Vinaigrette: serve this with a big arugula salad, some fresh melon, and some crusty bread.

Lasagna Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms. Forget the fuss (and the carbs) of a full lasagna.

Easy, Healthy Couscous Tabbouleh: serve this with warm pita, tahini and hummus, and a big salad.

Magnificent Cream of Mushroom Soup with Crispy Leeks: you won’t believe how great this soup is! Serve it with crusty bread and a salad and you’re all set for dinner.

March 30, 2014 by Julie Ruble | 9 Comments

pies and tarts

Sassy Sausage Breakfast Pie

Sassy Sausage Breakfast Pie

Snow days apparently lead to binge-watching trashy television. Okay, if I’m being honest, I had a Toddlers & Tiaras thing going on even before the winter storm arrived. I feel like I’m settling in with popcorn to watch some sort of quasi-ethical sociology experiment every time I hit “play” on another episode.

I could probably write for days about Toddlers & Tiaras: analyzing the rationale of the parents, evaluating the apparent effect on the children, pondering competitive pageants as a societal phenomenon in general and the role they play in each family’s life specifically, evaluating whether or not the show producers are predatory and exploitative for selectively filming and editing unsuspecting families to present them in the worst possible light, situating pageants in the context of our beauty obsessed society, recording my observations about spray tans. The list goes on and on. The more shows I watch, the more nuanced my opinions become.

One thing I wonder about is how reality television (and pop culture in general) affects our ability to disagree in a healthy way. I first thought about this while watching the women of Dance Moms (IT’S NOT MY FAULT. AMAZON RECOMMENDED IT TO ME) engage in a shouting match. It was classic reality TV fare: there were hurt feelings and instead of a clear discussion, someone snipped at someone else. There were a few opportunities where miscommunications could’ve been corrected, but instead, more snipping occurred. Finally, voices were raised and insults were hurled (sometimes a broken record of the same insult over and over and over) until someone stormed out of the room. It was (hopefully) not the kind of argument most of us aspire to in our real reality.

I also happened across a YouTube clip of these Dance Moms speaking to a crowd about the show. They said producers goad them into confronting issues they might otherwise ignore, knowing the ensuing drama will engage viewers. In addition to causing more arguments, this encouragement probably also causes louder, nastier arguments, since the moms can no doubt connect the dots: more drama = more entertainment = more job security. The moms also mentioned that selective editing can cut large portions of an argument that built slowly, making it appear they’re flying off the handle or acting erratically.

As I was mulling over this information, I thought of the disagreements I see online. The ones where people resort to using a condescending tone or name calling. The ones where people don’t identify and correct basic miscommunications. The ones where people ignore facts and don’t seem to be able to empathize with or understand any viewpoints besides their own. The ones where no valuable conclusions are ever reached.

I haven’t seen any data to suggest reality TV is somehow causing this deterioration of communication, and I hate when people suggest causation without, uh, cause. But I do think it’s worth thinking about how arguments in pop culture affect our own arguing tendencies. When disagreements that should be conducted thoughtfully are jumpstarted for ratings’ sake before the participants have had a moment to think, and when those same disagreements have meaningful communication edited out so that more of the shouty bits can be shoehorned into a 5-minute segment — well, where do we find models of healthy, productive disagreement?

Sassy Sausage Breakfast Pie

Not on the news, that’s for sure! Most news channels have the same melodramatic, content-light arguments! To me, this is even more insidious than reality TV because these bickering sessions pose as critical debates on newsworthy issues. When I watch Dance Moms, I know I’m settling in for lightweight, trashy TV; however, we generally expect the news to deliver content with a measure of authority. If I can find a poorly considered, sensational argument even there, again, where are the models of healthy disagreement? (By the way, while reading for this post, I watched what I assumed would be an apology video for Megyn Kelly’s outrageous assertion. Nope: in the video, Kelly admitted no error, instead framing herself as a victim and decrying “race baiting.” Oh my gosh, this world.)

So what does productive disagreement look like? That’s the million dollar question. I’ll be pondering that a bit in my next post, but the spoiler alert is that I don’t have a magic answer. I think there are certain ideas that might help everyone out and there are probably plenty of tactics that work for some people and not others. I’m willing to hazard a guess, though, that Dance Moms-style yelling isn’t ranking highly on anyone’s “Most Effective” list.

Putting on a pot of coffee, baking a Sassy Sausage Breakfast Pie, and preparing a big plate of fresh fruit to devour while discussing your differences? Now that might work.

What are some things you think are important for engaging in a healthy disagreement?

One year ago: Key Lime Pie Cheesecake with Sky-High Meringue
Two years ago: Poppy Seed Ham & Swiss Slider Melts
Three years ago: Quick Rosemary, Fig, and Goat Cheese Tarts
Four years ago: Billion Cheese Ravioli with Red Pepper Pancetta Sauce

Sassy Sausage Breakfast Pie

Recipe by: Adapted by Willow Bird Baking from my mother-in-law’s recipe
Yield: 8 servings

Oh my gosh, pie crust and sausage, y’all. This breakfast pie is the bee’s knees. Mike’s mom always makes it for Christmas breakfast and we dream of it all year long! I added a little jalapeño (which you can adjust to your taste) to give it a slight kick, but it won’t make your nose run or eyes water. I recommend serving this with a sweet side — maybe fruit and some coconut meringue dip, which I’m sharing on the blog later this week — and mimosas for a special Sunday brunch.

Ingredients:
9-inch pie shell, unbaked (homemade or store-bought)
1 pound breakfast sausage
1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (or other Swiss cheese)
4 eggs
1 cup half and half (or light cream)
1/4 cup chopped orange/yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 medium jalapeño, finely chopped (adjust to your heat preference — this gives a slight kick)
1/4 cup chopped onion
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out the pie dough and place it in a pie plate, crimping the edges. Place this in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Brown the sausage and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Mix the cheese and sausage and place into the pie shell. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs and cream together. Mix in the peppers and onion. Salt and pepper the mixture. Pour it into the pie shell over the meat and cheese, adjusting to be sure all the ingredients are spread out. Bake for 40-45 minutes until set and golden. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. I love to serve the pie with Frank’s Hot Sauce, which complements the flavor perfectly!

February 17, 2014 by Julie Ruble | 7 Comments

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Insane Chili Cheese Dip (with an emergency quick adaptation!)

Insane Chili Cheese Dip

I think I’ve finally figured out how marriage works.

chili cheese dip threats

I asked Mike in November to please get a cable to hook up the TV my parents gave us. Don’t be like my mom here:

chili cheese dip threats

As you can see, she lost chili cheese dip privileges.

Insane Chili Cheese Dip

Yes, I have legs, but this was Mike’s Job. In November (please remember that this all started in November. That’s 2 months ago), I told him I’d go to some store and pick something up (I’ve forgotten the details since it was 2 months ago) if he’d to go Walmart and pick up a cable. I fulfilled my end of the bargain (2 months ago) while he apparently forgot cables, TVs, and wives even existed.

I reminded him a couple of times over the course of the 2 months (did I mention it’s been 2 months?) but no cable arrived. Then it was time for the Super Bowl, the one time all year when my favorite sport and favorite foods meet in one magical celebration. So things had to get real. In addition to verbal and Facebookian threats, I also left him ample reminders. Exhibit 1: This note was left on his desk.

just a little reminder

Exhibit 2: The back of the note also contained a very important message.

just a little reminder

It is now Sunday and I’m happy to report that my TV is hooked up and tuned in to the Super Bowl channel. Is this all I had to do to get my way? Make chili cheese dip? ‘Cause I can totally handle that.

Moral of the story, as captured by my friend Rebecca:

the moral

Insane Chili Cheese Dip

Want some chili cheese dip to “encourage” your husband or wife to run errands? I got ya covered. This dip was a family favorite when I was little. We used a can of Hormel chili without beans and it took around 15 minutes to whip up — perfect for an emergency last minute dip on game day!

If you have more time, though, make the grown up version below. It starts by layering flavors from árbol and ancho chiles, dark beer, and chorizo to make the best homemade chili I’ve ever tasted. Either route you take — easy and quick or carefully crafted — this dip is gonna drive you crazy.

One year ago: White Sheet Cake with Fluffy Whipped Icing
Two years ago: Cheeseburger Bāozi (Steamed Cheeseburger Stuffed Buns)
Three years ago: Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies with Honey Cardamom Cream Cheese
Four years ago: Ugly as Sin Coconut Cake

Insane Chili Cheese Dip

Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking, with chili recipe adapted from Cooks’ Illustrated, as found on Brown Eyed Baker
Yield: serves 4-6 people

If you want a quick (and still delicious) version of this dip, use a can or two of Hormel Chili without beans in place of homemade chili. But if you have the time, it’s so worth it to make this incredible homemade chili. It’s the best I’ve ever had, hands down. It looks complicated, but it’s actually a cinch to prepare and can be made a few days ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble and bake your dip. The recipe below makes about twice the amount of chili you need, but I make the whole batch because I know I’ll want to freeze some for other uses.

Chili Paste Ingredients:
6 dried ancho chiles (about 7/8 ounces), stems and seeds removed, and flesh torn into 1-inch pieces
2-4 dried árbol chiles, stems removed, pods split, seeds removed*
3 tablespoons cornmeal
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided

Chili Ingredients:
Table salt
2 medium onions, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
3 jalapeño peppers, stems and seeds removed, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 teaspoons light molasses
1 pound chorizo, with casings removed
3 strips of bacon
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (I’ve used Red Stripe and Guinness before and both have come out perfectly)**
1 tablespoon flour

Other Dip Ingredients:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
green onions for garnish (optional)
tortilla chips for serving

Directions:
NOTES: *Make sure to wear gloves when working with chiles and avoid touching your eyeballs (or other people’s eyeballs. But why would you be doing that? Weirdo.) You can substitute 1/2 cup chili powder and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper if you don’t want to use the dried chiles, but I highly, highly recommend you give it a try. It’s so easy, and very gratifying.

**If you don’t cook drink alcohol, you should know that according to this chart, only about 5-10% of alcohol will remain in the entire dish by the time you’re done. The beer is very important to the flavor and I don’t recommend skipping it.

Make the chili: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Begin to prepare the chili paste by toasting ancho chiles in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until they’re fragrant (4 to 6 minutes). Reduce the heat if they start to smoke. Place the chiles into the bowl of a food processor and let them cool. Leave the skillet unwashed for future use.

Add the árbol chiles, cornmeal, oregano, cumin, cocoa, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the food processor with the ancho chiles and pulverize for about 2 minutes, or until finely ground. Then, with the food processor still running, slowly add 1/2 cup of chicken broth until a smooth paste forms (about 45 seconds). Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer the paste to a bowl and set aside.

Put the onions in the food processor and pulse them until they’re chopped (about 4 pulses). Add the jalapeños and pulse until the mixture reaches the consistency of a chunky salsa, about 4 more pulses, scraping the bowl if needed.

In your stock pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are softened and the moisture has cooked off, about 7 to 9 minutes. Then add the garlic and saute until it’s fragrant, just about 1 minute. Add the chili paste, tomatoes, and molasses and stir to combine thoroughly. Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth and bring the whole mixture to a boil before reducing the heat to simmer.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon over medium-high heat in your skillet to your desired crispiness. Remove it to drain on a paper towel lined plate. In the same skillet, cook the chorizo until browned through (add 1 1/2 teaspoons of vegetable oil if needed to supplement the bacon grease). Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chorizo and bacon to the Dutch oven. Discard any liquid in the skillet (but don’t rub off the stuck-on bits!) and return to the heat. Add the bottle of beer to the skillet, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits, and bring it to a simmer. Pour the lager into the Dutch oven. Stir to combine and return the mixture to a simmer.

Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook until the meat is fully tender and the flavors have melded, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. About an hour into cooking, ladle some of the hot chili liquid into a small bowl and whisk the flour into it until smooth. Add this to back to the chili pot and stir together. Continue cooking.

When the chili is finished, let it stand, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Stir the chili well and season to taste with salt. (Afterwards, you can store it in a tupperware in the refrigerator if you’re not using it right away.)

Assemble and bake the dip: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the cream cheese evenly over the bottom of a baking dish (I use a 2-quart oval one). Pour 2 heaping cups of the chili over the cream cheese and top with grated sharp cheddar. Bake the dip until the cheese is melted and the dip is bubbly, around 20 minutes. Top with chopped green onions and serve immediately with tortilla chips.

February 2, 2014 by Julie Ruble | 11 Comments

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The Ultimate Sausage Breakfast Buns

The Ultimate Sausage Breakfast Buns

When I was in third grade, I broke my arm and my collarbone, becoming the first person in my family to ever break a bone, a distinction I was quite proud of. The way it happened, though, is a story I am decidedly un-proud of. Regardless, I’m about to share it on the flippin’ worldwide interwebz because that’s what bloggers do, apparently.

First, you should know that I was kind of a bratty third grader. I was very bright, but lacked diplomacy and humility. I was great at arguing, but bad at gauging when to argue. In short, I was 8. I asked for a briefcase for every birthday and Christmas until I finally got one, since I was determined to become a bold, exacting attorney. I frequently threatened to sue my friends and family members for unfair treatment.

What can I say? I had good intentions, but my delivery was . . . unpleasant. Fortunately my hubris mellowed as I grew older, probably as a result of education, increased self-awareness, and a few violent adjustments from my older siblings.

The Ultimate Sausage Breakfast Buns

But in third grade, I was still that bratty attorney. I had a fierce sense of justice and plenty of personal convictions. I brought them all with me one summer night to the roller rink, where I was going skating with a friend.

You should also know that I wasn’t the best skater. I could kind of manage it for a bit, but inevitably I’d have a moment of panic and find myself flat on my butt in the path of a bajillion middle school kids with unfortunate braking skills.

Nevertheless, that evening, I had passed several hours relatively unscathed. At one point, I was getting tired, but I decided to take one more lap. I started around the rink, just reaching the place where there were no more exits, and realized I didn’t want to skate anymore. The rink suddenly seemed interminable, and my fatigue suddenly seemed intense. But the distance to get back — against the flow of skaters — seemed more manageable. You know where this is going.

I skated slowly against the traffic, trying to stay inside the ring of skaters. Seemingly out of nowhere, a tall middle schooler with long, flowing blonde hair was skating straight at me. The situation was almost poetic, actually: I’d met her at the beginning of the night and found out her name was Julie, too. We’d argued over who rightfully deserved the name, and she’d snapped at me that she’d had it first. Now here she was, speeding straight out of darkness as if to claim her birthright. And here I was, about to get mowed down for being a nitwit. I think this was basically the plot of Beowulf, right? Whatever.

I reached out to grab her shoulders and hopefully prevent our imminent smash-up, but she was skating too fast. She swung out to avoid me, and the arm that had grabbed her snapped back behind me as she swerved, pulling me flat onto my back with a thud and cracking two of my bones. I didn’t realize any of this at the time, though. At the time, my only thought was, “Owww.”

The Ultimate Sausage Breakfast Buns

Somehow I made it off the rink and over to the concession stand, because my 8-year-old brain assumed that “put some ice on it” was the cure for all physical ills. I barely looked at the dude behind the concession counter as I asked, “I hurt my arm. Can I have some ice?”

“Sorry, I can’t give you any,” came his unbelievable reply. WHAT?! I was furious. Appalled. In my mind, I was entitled to this ice for many convincing reasons: (A) I was a young child, and you should always give young children what they need. (B) I was hurt, and you should always give hurt people what they need. (C) There was no reason I could think of not to give me what I needed. So I did what any great attorney would do. I sassed back. (That’s what attorneys do, right? Wait.)

“But I’m hurt! If you don’t give me any ice, I’ll sue you because my arm is hurt and you’re not helping me! You can’t do this!” My vehemence shocked and embarrassed even me. With a huff and a flounce, I skated into the bathroom and promptly boiled over in tears.

The Ultimate Sausage Breakfast Buns

A few minutes later, my friend skated in. I was sure she’d come to comfort and support me, but instead she said, “That guy says he’ll give you ice, but you have to apologize first.”

Apologize?! Indignation burned through me like the flame of a billion blow torches. Thankfully, it was followed by the searing pain of my broken bones, which burned through me like the flame of two billion blowtorches. I could barely look at my friend as we skated together out of the bathroom, my pride melting into a sorry puddle of shame and humiliation around me.

The concession stand guy was waiting with an apathetic look on his face. Somehow 29-year-old me thinks he cared a lot less about this incident than 8-year-old me assumed. After taking a deep draught of the stale popcorn air, I began. “Listen, I’m sorry. I’m just hurt! And I needed some ice!” I felt my pride resurfacing and had to stomp it back down. “And I’m just sorry I talked to you like that. Can I please have some ice?” He barely said a thing, but scooped out a bag and gave it to me. I skated away, holding the cold anticlimax of a horrible night against my wounds. It helped ease the ache of my bones, but did nothing for my pride.

The Ultimate Sausage Breakfast Buns

Like so many embarrassing stories from my childhood that I would’ve been glad to erase at the time, I’m glad this happened. I’m glad he put me in my place and used his authority to encourage some humility and courtesy in me. I needed to realize that:

Having good intentions didn’t make what I said less inappropriate.

Feeling like I was right didn’t make it okay to be unkind.

Nobody owed me understanding for inappropriate behavior, and I should be thankful for grace.

Other people’s experience mattered just as much as mine did, and I had to consider them.

It was my job as a human being to consider them.

Boy, did that lesson stick with me.

There’s hardly a segue here into the recipe for these gorgeous breakfast buns, except to say they’ll stick with you, too. Does that work? No? Okay.

These truly are the Ultimate Sausage Breakfast Buns: the best yeast rolls stuffed with cheddar grits, eggs, sausage, and hash browns, and topped with a drizzle of maple syrup. They’re indulgent and perfect for any special occasion — I imagine them on your Christmas morning breakfast table, or being served for a New Year’s brunch. Enjoy — and share with us: what life lesson will you always remember learning?

One year ago: Brown Butter Gooey Butter Spice Cake with Sparkling Cranberries and Cream
Two years ago: Cranberry Orange Pecan Cake (vegan)
Three years ago: Magic Bars
Four years ago: Oreo Truffle Snowmen

The Ultimate Sausage Breakfast Buns

Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking; idea first created by Amanda at Treasures of the Phoenix
Yield: 24 servings

These are straight-up incredible. They’re worth every bit of butter, every egg, and every minute spent making them — which is considerable. They’re definitely a special occasion treat! They would be perrrfect for Christmas breakfast! You can prepare them the night before, wake up early to preheat your oven and set them out to rise, and then just pop them in the oven 15 minutes before you eat.

Roll Ingredients:
1/4 cup warm water (100-110 degrees F)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 cups milk minus 2 tablespoons, room temperature
5 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup cold shortening
2 tablespoons butter, melted, for after baking

Filling Ingredients:
2 cup plus 2 tablespoon milk, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup stone-ground grits
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 cups plus 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds pork sausage
2 cups frozen shredded hash browns
20 eggs
2 tablespoons diced green chiles
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) melted butter
maple syrup for drizzling

Directions:
Note: I don’t recommend halving yeast recipes; instead, if you don’t want 24 rolls at once, consider freezing some for later. Sometimes I even make two types of rolls (savory and dessert), by making the full amount of yeast dough but halving the filling recipe for both. To freeze unbaked rolls, just wrap them well before the second rise and freeze them. Once frozen, pop them out of the pan all together and store in the freezer, wrapped in plastic wrap and in a zip top bag. When you want to bake them, stick them back in a greased pan, thaw them in the fridge overnight, proof for the instructed amount of time, and bake like usual.

Make yeast dough the night before: Mix the warm water and yeast in a medium bowl and let the yeast foam for about 10 minutes. Put 2 tablespoons white vinegar in a measuring cup and then add milk up to the 2 cup line. Set this aside. In a separate large bowl (or the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook), whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and cut the shortening into the mixture with two knives or a pastry cutter until the shortening looks like small peas. Stir yeast mixture and milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well, kneading just a few turns. Transfer the dough to a large bowl (keep in mind that it will rise) lightly sprayed with cooking spray, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and store in refrigerator overnight.

Make grits: The next morning, in a medium saucepan, boil 2 cups of milk and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in the grits with a whisk. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until all the milk is absorbed (see the directions on your package for how long this should take. Mine took 15 minutes). Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, heavy cream, and 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Season to taste with pepper (and salt if more is needed; I didn’t need to add any). Cover these and set aside.

Make sausage, egg, hash brown mixture: In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium-high heat. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. In the sausage drippings (add a little butter if there isn’t enough), brown the hash browns by spreading them over the bottom of the skillet in a flat layer. Cover the skillet and let them cook without stirring for around 6 minutes (double check the directions on your hash browns package). When one side is browned, flip the hash browns and brown the other side. Remove these to the sausage plate to drain. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1 tablespoon milk until fluffy. Scramble these in the sausage drippings (or some butter if your sausage drippings have run out) over medium heat until they’re almost done but still wet. Transfer them back to the bowl where you scrambled them. Add the sausage, hash browns, and chiles into the bowl and mix gently. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble your rolls.

Roll out the dough: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly spray two 9 x 13-inch baking dishes with cooking spray. Turn the chilled dough out onto a well-floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle about 1/8-inch thick (I carefully cut the dough in half and worked with half at a time to make it more manageable; if you do this, just spread on half of the filling ingredients for each half you roll).

Assemble the rolls: Spread the melted butter all over the top of the dough. On top of this, gently and evenly spread the cheese grits and egg mixtures (I use two spoons to spread the cheese grits mixture. It doesn’t have to be perfect — just get it here and there all around). Sprinkle on the remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese. Gently roll the dough up into a spiral (I use a bench scraper to help me roll) and cut it into 2-inch rolls, placing them close together in your prepared baking dishes (at this point, you could wrap and freeze the rolls for later if you wanted).

Bake and serve: Cover the rolls with a clean dish cloth and let them rise in a warm spot (I set them on my oven’s heat vent) for 1 1/2 hours. Bake them for about 15-20 minutes or until browned on top (if you take them out at just lightly golden brown, they may still be doughy in the center). Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter and return to the oven for 1 more minute. Pour a light drizzle of maple syrup over the warm rolls. Serve immediately.

December 22, 2013 by Julie Ruble | 7 Comments

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