Pimento Cheese Stuffed Gougeres Recipes

GOUGèRES (FRENCH CHEESE PUFFS)

Steps:

• Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat it to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Bring the milk, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the flour all at once, lower the heat to medium and, using a wooden spoon, immediately start stirring energetically. The dough will form into a ball and there will be a light film on the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring for another two minutes or so to dry the dough: Dry dough will make puffier puffs.
• Turn the dough out into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or work by hand in a large bowl with a wooden spoon and elbow grease). Let the dough sit for a minute to cool, then add the eggs one by one, followed by the white, beating on medium speed until each one is incorporated before adding the next. The dough may look as though it's separating or falling apart -- just keep going, and by the time the egg white goes in, the dough will be smooth. Beat in the mustard, followed by the cheese. Give the dough a last mix-through by hand.
• Scoop or spoon out heaping tablespoon-sized balls of dough (I use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop), and drop the dough on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the mounds. (The scooped dough can be frozen on the baking sheets.)
• Slide the baking sheets into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 375°F. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pans from front to back and top to bottom. Continue baking until the gougères are puffed, golden, and firm enough to pick up, another 15 to 17 minutes. Serve immediately -- these are best directly from the oven. Storing: Although the puffs are best served hot out of the oven, they are still nice (although flatter) at room temperature that same day. If you want to keep baked puffs longer, freeze them and then reheat in a 350°F-oven for a few minutes.
• Make-Ahead/Freezer Instructions: Scoop the dough and freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then pack them in an airtight container. You can bake them straight from the freezer; just give them a few more minutes in the oven.
• Note/Variation: Dorie adds ⅔ cup walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted and chopped, to these gougères. My family prefers them without nuts but it's a nice variation to try. Add them along with the cheese.

PIMENTO CHEESE STUFFED BURGERS

Steps:

• For the pimento cheese: Add the Cheddars, cream cheese, pimentos and mayo to a bowl and mix together. Add the chives, garlic powder, cayenne, smoked paprika and salt and pepper and mix until thoroughly combined.
• Place the cheese mixture on a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a log. Freeze for a few minutes or refrigerate up to overnight.
• For the sauce: Mix together the mayonnaise, hot sauce, Worcestershire, paprika and 1 tablespoon reserved pimento juice in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• For the burgers: Preheat a grill to medium heat.
• Mix the meats, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire, egg, salt and pepper together in a bowl with your hands until completely combined. Divide the meat into 8 portions and shape each into large thin patties. Slice four 1/2-inch slices off the pimento cheese log (reserve the rest for another use...snacking!). Place a pimento cheese slice on four of the patties and then top them with the remaining four patties, sealing the sides of the patties to enclose the cheese. (See Cook's Note.)
• Lightly oil the grill grates. Add the patties to the hot grill and cook until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, about 4 minutes per side.
• Spread the sauce on the buttered buns. Top each with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions and a patty and close the burgers. Eat with lots of napkins.

PIMENTO CHEESE-STUFFED GOUGERES

Steps:

• For the pate a choux: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
• Combine the milk, butter, salt, sugar and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that the butter melts completely, until the liquid begins to simmer. Add the flour and cook, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, until the mixture comes together to form an even dough. Continue to cook, stirring, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides as you stir and leaves a film or thin residue on the bottom and sides of the pan, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Slowly mix the dough until it cools to room temperature, about 3 minutes. When the dough has cooled, add the egg white and whole eggs one at a time, mixing well on medium speed. Scrape down the sides after each egg. After the last egg is added, scrape down the bowl and beat on high speed until the dough is smooth, thick and glossy, about 3 minutes.
• Scoop the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe 1 1/2-inch circles onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving a 1-inch gap between to allow the puffs to expand. If any of the piped choux have pointy tops, wet your fingertip with water and pat them down a little, smoothing out the tops.
• For the egg wash: Whisk together the egg and salt in a small bowl and brush over the choux.
• Bake until the puffs are round, puffed and a light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the puffs remain inside until they are a deep golden brown, an additional 5 minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow to cool completely while you make the pimento cheese stuffing.
• For the pimento cheese stuffing: Bring the evaporated milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, mix in the Cheddar and continue to whisk as the cheese melts. Add the mayonnaise, hot sauce, cornstarch and salt and whisk to combine. Mix in the pimento pepper, making sure that it is minced enough for the pieces to easily fit through the head of your piping tip. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool while you prepare the cream cheese.
• Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until completely smooth and no lumps are visible. When the Cheddar-pimento mixture is cool to the touch, slowly beat it into the cream cheese, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding more to the bowl.
• Transfer the pimento cheese mixture to a piping bag fitted with a tip for filling. Pierce a small hole in the bottom of each choux puff with the end of the tip and fill each with the cheese mixture until just before it starts to bulge.

PIMIENTO CHEESE STUFFED SOFT PRETZELS

Steps:

• For the pimiento cheese: To the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add the cheese, mayonnaise, pimientos, relish, onion powder, a pinch of salt, pepper and a few dashes hot sauce, if using. Blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl and set aside or cover and hold in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• For the pretzels: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface into an approximate 14-by-12-inch rectangle. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut lengthwise into 2 1/2- to 3-inch strips. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the pimiento cheese down the center of each strip. Brush the strips on both sides of the pimiento cheese with the egg wash. Bring the sides of each strip up around the spread and crimp it closed using the tines of a fork. Tie each strip into a pretzel-shaped knot and place them on a baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator until ready to boil.
• Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Very slowly add the baking soda and stir until dissolved. Using a spider or slotted spoon, dip each pretzel in the boiling mixture for about 30 seconds each, then place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Once all the pretzels are dipped, brush them with the beaten egg and sprinkle them with salt.
• Bake until the pretzels are a deep golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with spicy mustard.

PIMENTO-CHEESE-STUFFED BURGER

Steps:

• For the pimento cheese: Combine the cream cheese, orange Cheddar, white Cheddar, mayonnaise, mustard, pimentos, cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon black pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a large rectangle of plastic wrap, spread out in a line and roll up in the plastic to form a 2-inch-diameter log. Twist the ends tightly and place the log seam-side down on a flat plate, folding the ends under to secure. Refrigerate until firm, 2 to 3 hours.
• For the garlic butter: Combine the butter, Roasted Garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl and stir until well combined. Set aside.
• For the burgers: Form the ground beef into eight 3 1/2-ounce patties about 4 inches in diameter. Take the chilled pimento cheese log out of the refrigerator and slice it into 1/2-inch-wide disks. Place a pimento cheese disk on top of 1 of the patties and top it with another patty. Firmly crimp the edges of the 2 patties all the way around to make sure that it is sealed. Repeat with the remaining patties and cheese, reserving any remaining cheese for another use. Return the stuffed patties to the fridge to chill again for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat a grill pan or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and lightly grease with the oil. Season the burgers with salt and cook on one side until charred and almost heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook in the oven until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Heat a large skillet over high heat. Slather the cut sides of the brioche buns with some of the garlic butter. Toast the buns on both sides until golden brown and lightly charred around the edges, 30 to 45 seconds per side. Reserve the remaining garlic butter for another use.
• Toss the cabbage with the apple cider vinegar and a little salt in a large mixing bowl.
• Build the burgers from the bottom up: Place a layer of sliced sweet onion on the bottom buns. Top each with a stuffed burger. Top the burgers with the Fried Green Tomatoes and drizzle with some Scratch Ranch Dressing. Top the tomatoes with two pieces of crispy bacon. Top with a handful of dressed cabbage. Place the top buns on top and secure with a pick.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cut the tops off the whole heads of garlic to expose the garlic cloves. Place the heads on a large piece of aluminum foil and drizzle lightly with the oil and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Wrap the foil around the heads to form a tight pouch. Place the pouch in the oven and roast until soft and fragrant, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Squeeze the pulp from the skins.
• Cut the tomatoes into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Whisk together the flour, garlic powder, 2 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk together the eggs and buttermilk in another medium bowl. Place the cornmeal in a third medium bowl.
• Lightly dredge the tomato slices in the seasoned flour mixture. Dip into the egg mixture and then finally into the cornmeal. Place the coated tomatoes on a lined tray and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up.
• Pour enough canola oil into a medium pan to reach 2 to 3 inches deep. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches a temperature of 350 degrees F. Fry the tomatoes in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plates, season with salt and keep warm.
• Combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream, dill, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 4 to 5 turns of black pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk until well combined and creamy in texture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The dressing will keep in the refrigerator 3 to 5 days.