Ballpark Enchiladas: Sausage, Pepper and Onion Enchiladas with Beer-Cheese Sauce

Ballpark Enchiladas: Sausage, Pepper and Onion Enchiladas with Beer-Cheese Sauce

I was at Fenway Park last week and, like always, I immediately fell victim to the sausage carts. The sizzling and spattering of those sausage links as they hit the griddle and the potent and glorious smell of them cooking alongside sweet onions and peppers is hard to refuse. When you combine boisterous fans and an ice cold beer, does it get any more summer than that?

My enchilada making station

That moment of taking that first bite of a sausage sub - the juicy meat, sweet onions and peppers, neatly encased in a soft hot dog style bun - was the inspiration for these enchiladas. I wanted to capture the flavors of the sub at Fenway, in addition to the beer, but put a fun new twist on it and roll it all up into enchiladas form. 

Tortillas and Homemade Ground Sausage 

To make these enchiladas, I used TortillaLand Tortillas, something I've written about before. Around this time last year, I received a very generous shipment of TortillaLand Tortillas and made Spanish Enchiladas with them. If your not familiar with TortillaLand Tortillas, they are tortillas in their raw, doughy state that you just toss into a heated, non-stick skillet for 30 seconds on each side and then they're good to go. I think they're an awesome and more flavorful alternative to the average tortilla. 

TortillaLand Tortillas 

The fresh tortillas in addition to making my own ground up sausage, spiked with toasted fennel, fresh herbs and crushed red pepper flakes, is what made these something special. And the fact that the onions are caramelized in a dark Porter, doesn't hurt the cause either. If all of this hasn't convinced you to give these a try, maybe the beer - cheese sauce that blanketed the top will. A duo of cheeses (provolone and mozzarella) combined with a sturdy Porter and a healthy dose of Dijon mustard created a creamy, cheesy and intensely flavored sauce - make these for your crowd! 

A peek inside..

Recipe after the jump!

Bacon Studded Beer Bread

Bacon Beer Bread

Beer and Bacon in bread form.  I just want to pause for a moment to let that soak in and let your mind run wild with ideas on what you'd do with such a bread.  I know mine did.  The inspiration for this recipe came from the cookbook Recipes Every Man Should Know.  Now I know what you're thinking, what am I doing with a book like that?  The truth is that I received an email from a publicist who asked if I wanted to review a copy.  Being rather curious what Susan Russo and Brett Cohen (the authors) think are recipes every man should know, I agreed.  This pocket-sized guide starts off with some good tips (basic cooking terms and kitchen gear) for the inexperienced (male) cook. The book definitely caters to the male population (Introduction: "So, why should men cook? Women think men who cook are sexy.) and includes a 144 pages of simple recipes ranging from breakfast to dessert.

Recipes Every Man Should Know 

My big gripe with this book was the fact that it was just so dang tiny.  The reason for that being to play off of the old fashioned "little black book" and also so that it can "fit in your back pocket".  I realize I'm not the target audience, but I like to spread out my cookbooks and mark them up with with notes as I go along, which is a little tough to do with this book due to its size.  I also question whether or not a guy would stash this in his back pocket.  I know I'd find it a bit odd if I were on a date with a guy who was making me dinner and he whipped out a copy of this from his back pocket before heading to the kitchen.  Nevertheless, it's a creative concept.

Easy Recipe for Beer Bread

I did flip through this book and got hung up on this simple beer bread recipe.  Requiring only four ingredients (all of which I just happened to have hanging around) I thought I'd give it a whirl.  Getting a little creative, I thought I'd boost the flavor a bit by swirling some bacon into the bread.  I mean really, doesn't bacon just make everything better?

Beautiful, beautiful bacon...sigh...

Overall, the bread was good.  Very flavorful and full of bacony goodness.  The only problem is that it didn't rise as much as I would have hoped, although fortunately, didn't end up being super dense, which is what usually happens when bread doesn't rise much.  Maybe it was intended to be that way?  Either way, although the recipe didn't call for it and I went against my better bread baking judgement to follow the recipe, next time I would let the bread rise a little before sticking it int the oven.  That being said, I would make this again.  I thought that the recipe was simple and there's just so much you could do with this bread! I ended up slathering one side of a piece of the beer bread with a grainy Dijon mustard and then sandwiched some shredded sharp cheddar cheese and toasted it all up.  Very satisfying for a chilly gray December day like today!

Grilled Cheese on Bacon Beer Bread

Apple and Sausage Pizza with Pumpkin Beer Sauce

Apple and Sausage Pizza with Pumpkin Beer Sauce

Have you ever had the pleasure of enjoying the positively delightful combination of fresh, crisp apples with sharp cheddar cheese?  If you have, you're probably already drooling because that combination is just that good.  Now imagine adding sweet Italian sausage, slivered mushrooms and wilted spinach.  Oh, and don't forget the mustard/ pumpkin beer sauce that goes on top.  Did I mention all of these incredibly amazing flavors are all sitting on top of a whole wheat pizza crust and then fancied up a bit with a splash of fresh chopped parsley?  Have I got your attention now?

The inspiration for this dish came from a happy reunion between me and my pizza stone.  I had to throw away my last pizza stone because it was way past its prime and starting to show its age via blotchy stains from many pizza's past.  I had been without one for a while and I had missed it.  So in a tizzy of pizza ambition, I got myself a new pizza stone and couldn't wait to whip it out and break it in.  Wanting to opt for something out of the norm, I created this little concoction of fall flavors that work together oh so perfectly I wondered why I hadn't thought of this combination before.

Apples and Sausage and Pumpkin Beer Sauce...oh my!

Apple Sausage Pizza with Pumpkin Beer Sauce
- 1 store bought ball of fresh whole wheat pizza dough
- Some flour for rolling out the dough
- Cornmeal for the bottom of the pizza so it doesn't stick
- 2 links of sweet Italian sausage (I used turkey sausage here)
- 1 small apple, sliced thin
- 5-6 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- A couple giant handfuls of spinach
- About a cup of cheese (I used a mix of mozzarella and cheddar)
- About a cup of pumpkin beer
- About two tablespoons of coarse grain mustard
- About 1 tbs creme fraiche (or sour cream would work as well)
- Fresh ground pepper
 - Parsley for garnish (optional)

Put the pizza stone into the oven and set it 450 degrees.  (Make sure the oven is cool when you put the pizza stone in, otherwise you run the risk of it cracking) Start by removing the casings on the sausage and brown them up in a pot.  Remove the sausage and add the beer.  Let it reduce by half and then add the mustard and black pepper.  Let the sauce cool a bit and add the creme fraiche.  In another pot, wilt down the spinach until it is just wilted.  Meanwhile by rolling out the pizza dough into some flour until it's evenly thin.  Top it with spinach, mushrooms, sausage and cheese.  Top with drizzles of the beer/mustard sauce and the slices of apple.  Put some cornmeal onto the pizza stone and carefully slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone.  Bake for about 15 minutes until the crust starts to brown and the cheese bubbles.

Baked Beer Battered Buffalo Onion Rings with Buffalo Dipping Sauce

Baked Beer Battered Buffalo Onion Rings with Buffalo Dipping Sauce

Growing up, there was no question about it, Sundays during the fall and early winter were devoted to football, and more specifically, the Pat's and nothing (and I do mean nothing) got in the way of that.  Beautiful fall days where the amber colored leaves are almost twinkling in the sunlight?  No chance were we spending it outside picking apples, the Pats were playing the Jets.  A friend of mine calling to gossip and chatter on about how the most popular guy in school knew her name?  Sorry pal, no time for that right now, the Pat's have a big game against the Colts and it's almost kick-off time.  (Call you at 4:30?)

Suffice it to say, football ruled all Sunday happenings.

From the time I asked, "Daddy, what color are the outfits of the team you like?" all the way through college, where Sunday after Sunday, I was the girl that maintained a firm spot on the beat-up couch with my guy friends, and up until now, where I still spend my Sundays cheering on the Pats, football has been a big part of my life and I like that.  Yelling at the TV (just like my Dad taught me), I love to spend my Sundays curled up on the couch, watching the game.  And of course, along with the game, comes game day food and today, with it being the Pat's opener, some classic sports watching food was certainly in order.

Buffalo Dipping Sauce

Aren't beer and buffalo sauce the perfect combo?

Today I created baked beer battered buffalo onion rings with a buffalo dipping sauce.  And, let's just put it this way, if you don't make these at some point during the season you are sorely missing out.  Taking a healthy twist on this game day fave, I dredged the onion rings through a beer batter and some breadcrumbs and then baked them up until they crisped up and the ring of onion on the inside got all soft and sweet.  When you combine that with a hot tongue stinging buffalo sauce it's game day cuisine at its finest.

Go Pats!

Baked Beer Battered Buffalo Onion Rings With Buffalo Dipping Sauce

For the onion rings:

- 1 -2 onions, peeled and sliced thin
- 2 eggs
- About 1 tbs of buffalo sauce (I used Archie's Moore's Original)
- About 1 cup flour
- About 1 cup breadcrumbs
- About 1/4 c. light beer (I used Miller Lite)

For the dipping sauce:

- About 1 cup sour cream (I used fat free)
- About 1/4 cup buffalo sauce
- Sliced chives or green onions (optional)

Start by mixing the two eggs, 1 tbs of buffalo sauce and the beer into a large bowl.  In separate shallow bowls, place the flour in one and the breadcrumbs in the other.  Dredge the onion rings through the beer batter and then into the flour.  Return the onion rings to the beer batter and then dredge them through the breadcrumbs.  Lay onto a large baking pan and bake at 400 degrees until the edges crisp up.

While the onions are baking, combine the sour cream with the buffalo sauce.  Top with the green onions and serve alongside the hot onion rings.  For best results, enjoy with a frosty beer and the Patriots on TV.

Let's Go Publick

Instructions for getting the most out of your trip to the Publick House (www.eatgoodfooddrinkbetterbeer) in Washington Square:

1. Know that unless you go during an off time, you will wait an incredibly long time to get a table
2. Go in the winter.  The dark atmosphere pairs exceptionally well with snow flurries or freezing rain.  As does their menu of delicious comfort food and hearty beers.
3. Go with a group of friends that like to laugh a lot and have fun.  Not only will you wait a long time to get a table, you wait even longer to get food.  It helps if you are with people that make you laugh by telling hilarious stories, jokes, or something like that.
4. Be open minded when it comes to beer.  There are only about a bajillion beers that they serve here.  Be adventurous.  Try something new.  Try something you can't pronounce.  Why not, right?
5. Don't leave your elbows on the table for too long.  Chances are, they might get stuck there.
6. Order the mac and cheese.  It just might be one of the most amazing dishes this side of the Mississippi.  Made with a rich four cheese sauce and a plethora of add ins to choose from, this dish rocks my red sox.  It appears in front of you, piping hot with a crusty cheesy exterior.  Once you bite into to the orecchiette pasta, you hit the molten hot center and cheese runs out all over the place.  It is what I imagine heaven to be like.  My personal mac and cheese combination has always been a mix of spinach, mushroom and andouille sausage and I will never look back.  Never.
7. If you carefully follow all of the above instructions, you will find yourself at the end of the night with your cheeks hurting from laughing so hard, a full, yet happy stomach full of mac and cheese, and a new favorite winter destination.