Tag: Cream Cheese

Tristan’s Mini Shepherd’s Pie

Posted November 16, 2023 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

Today’s recipe from ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL is inspired by my favorite character—Tristan! In the show, Tristan is the younger brother of local veterinarian Siegfried Farnon. He is first presented as a potential rival for fellow vet Jim, but the two soon become friends and frequently get each other into (and, thankfully, out of) mischief. Tristan’s character arc is so heartwarming. Watching him grow from an impish flirt into a responsible, empathetic young man (all while maintaining his signature sense of humor) is one of the highlights of the show.

Today we’re making individual shepherd’s pie, which Tristan makes for the housekeeper, Mrs. Hall, to welcome her home after she’s had an emotionally exhausting day. Since this episode was Tristan’s first time cooking, I kept my recipe simple: ground beef and mixed vegetables simmered in beef stock with onions and herbs, topped with mashed potatoes. I made my favorite mashed potatoes for the top: red potatoes coarsely mashed and mixed with garlic and cream cheese. Divine!

This is such a comforting, satisfying dish, exactly what Mrs. Hall would need after a hard day. I hope you enjoy it too!

Pepper Poppers

Posted November 3, 2022 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 1 Comment

Today marks the beginning of a menu I’ve been looking forward to all year! Not only is this my first time making a menu for a computer game, but it’s for my all-time favorite game: STARDEW VALLEY!

For those who are unfamiliar, STARDEW VALLEY is a farming and life simulation role-playing game. There are loads of farming sims out there, but this one is special because it is just so perfectly balanced. It’s well-paced, relaxing but rewarding, easy to play in both short bursts and long hauls, and incorporates fun storytelling and lore. In fact, STARDEW VALLEY is the only computer game I’ve continued to play since having kids (sorry, Sims). On top of it all, the art style and music are beautiful in their simplicity…and the food looks AMAZING. Which is why we’re here today. 😉

Food plays a big roll in STARDEW VALLEY. Many of the recipes provide buffs to the player’s speed, energy, luck, attacks against monsters, and more. There are loads of iconic STARDEW VALLEY recipes so I had a hard time narrowing it down, but I knew from the beginning that today’s recipe needed to make the final cut. Let’s make Pepper Poppers! 😀

Pepper Poppers is probably the food I eat most early in the game. It provides buffs for both farming and speed, making it perfect for when I’m working on building my farm to max capacity. Judging by the recipe’s in-game thumbnail, Pepper Poppers consists of a mix of red and green breaded peppers, which the description states are spicy and filled with cheese.

I chose jalapeños for my green peppers and mini sweet peppers for the red (since my store didn’t have any red chilis). For the filling, I used a mix of cream cheese and shredded Cheddar, then threw in some chopped pepperoni and chives to make it my own. Since this recipe is a favorite of the character Shane—and he’s the one who gives the player the recipe—I decided to create a batter than uses his favorite beverage, beer. My beer batter is loosely based on this Paula Deen recipe.

These were SO satisfying. Crisp on the outside, then a hit of spice, and ultra creamy in the center. I can see why they’re Shane’s favorite!

Strawberry and Grape Grinch Hearts with Yogurt Fruit Dip

Posted December 21, 2017 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 2 Comments

Is this more of an appetizer than a side dish? Probably. As soon as I started planning my Grinch Who Stole Christmas menu, I knew I wanted to incorporate Grinch hearts, but I wasn’t exactly sure how. It wasn’t until early this past week that I decided on making fruit skewers with dip, and by then I’d already made Who Hash for my appetizer. So here they are as a side dish! In the end, all that matters is that they’re delicious, right? 😉

And they definitely ARE delicious—easy too! Just cut your strawberries into shape with a small heart cookie cutter and slice the ends off your grapes at an angle. Slide them on a skewer, and you’re done! The fruit dip is easy too. It’s got a tasty coconut yogurt base blended with cream cheese and honey for added creaminess and sweetness. It’s a sweet snack you can feel great about eating, Grinch or not!

Charybdis Whirlpools: Greek Spiral Sandwiches

Posted August 13, 2015 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 1 Comment

In The Odyssey, Odysseus must choose between facing the man-eating monster Scylla or the ship-destroying whirlpool Charybdis. A tough choice no matter how you slice it, but these Greek pinwheel sandwiches are an easy choice: truly delicious and easy to make! A recipe that I originally found on Hello Healthy, they’ve got all the flavors you’d expect in a classic Greek salad (feta, cucumbers, peppers), plus some surprises (like herbed cream cheese). I love the way the feta incorporates into the cream cheese, and the roasted peppers add just the right touch of crunch.

Posted January 8, 2015 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 4 Comments

Finding a suitable entree for our Narnia menu was surprisingly difficult. Sure, Lucy had three kinds of toast with Tumnus, but that’s not really an entree, is it? The Pevensies ate marmalade roll with the Beavers, but that’s almost a dessert (or at best a breakfast). I was starting to feel like I’d exhausted my options when I finally remembered the ham sandwiches the Pevensies eat after meeting Father Christmas. Sure, it’s simple fare, but this is Narnia—everything’s a bit more special here. Plus, Father Christmas can do magic, so I like to think they settled for more than cold meat on bread. These Fancy Ham Sandwiches are my own recipe—authentic Italian prosciutto with two kinds of bread, sweet cream cheese, and colorful pesto!

Savory Snitch Cheese Balls

Posted April 3, 2014 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 4 Comments

Welcome to our new Book of the Month! I’ve been looking forward to doing Harry Potter for a long time. I love the books, so it was really important to me that this menu do them justice. Several drafts later, I’m proud to say I’ve planned a menu that I think even Snape would be unable to resist; it’s fun, magical, and (of course) incredibly tasty. So let’s get started!