Bid adieu to 2020 with these delicious dishes for a cosy and comforting evening at home.

 

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1. French Onion Soup

You know that effortless, elusive “Je ne sais quoi” that follows Parisians about? Ever wish you could capture a wisp of it? A beret isn’t the answer. No, what you need is the key to all of our fantasies français: the ultimate French Onion Soup. Spoon after spoon of rich beef broth, sweet caramelized onions, gooey Gruyère and crusty bread, and you too will ditch your chic chapeau in favor of this magnifique bistro classic.

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
8 sweet onions, peeled and thinly sliced in half moons
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 dried bay leaves
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp brown sugar
½ cup white wine
½ cup red wine
¼ cup brandy
8 cups beef broth

1 small baguette, sliced
Gruyere cheese, sliced

Directions

1) In a large pot, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and cook stirring frequently, until the onions are a deep golden brown, about 35-40 minutes. Add the thyme, bay leaves, flour and brown sugar. Stir well to combine. Add white wine, red wine and brandy, cooking for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beef broth and bring to a boil. Simmer soup for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves.

2) To assemble the soup, just before serving, preheat broiler to high. Place onion soup bowls on a baking sheet and ladle soup into bowls. Top with a slice of bread and then top the bread with Gruyere cheese. Melt under the broiler for a minute until the cheese is nicely browned.

Serves 6-8

 

potatoes
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2. Twice-Baked Mini Potatoes

The ultimate finger food, these Twice-Baked Mini Potatoes are one-bite wonders that can be made in advance—you just pop them in the oven for a second baking before the guests arrive. An amazing appetizer, these tiny cheese and chive-stuffed taters get gobbled up as a superb side dish as well.

Ingredients

26 Yukon Gold mini potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp chopped fresh thyme
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup sour cream
¼ cup milk
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp thinly sliced fresh chives
1 tbsp butter, softened
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.

2) Wash and dry potatoes. Place them in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, thyme, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and bake until a fork easily pierces potatoes, about 25 minutes. Remove and let cool until you are able to hold them. Take each potato, slice the top off, and use a small spoon to carefully hollow it out. Place potato pulp in a medium bowl and mash to a chunky consistency. Add sour cream, milk, Parmesan, chives, butter, salt and pepper, mashing ingredients together.

3) Increase oven temperature to 450°F. Generously spoon the filling into each potato shell. (Note: At this point, if you’re preparing the potatoes in advance, allow them to cool, cover and refrigerate them. When ready to serve bring to room temperature.) Just before serving time, bake until slightly brown on top, 10-15 minutes.

Yield: 26 mini potatoes

asparagus
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3. Parmesan-Crusted Asparagus

How do you make your family beg for veggies? Simply bake up these Parmesan-Crusted Asparagus, green stalks coated in a cheesy breadcrumb mixture and baked to a golden crisp. These addictive spears  can be assembled in advance and popped in the oven 15 minutes before dinnertime.

Ingredients

¾ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp kosher salt
1½ cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 large bunches of asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, whisk mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and salt.

3) On a large plate, combine panko and Parmesan.

4) Stalk by stalk, dip asparagus in mayonnaise mixture, followed by the panko mixture. Place crusted asparagus on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle the stalks with olive oil.

5) At this point you can place the tray in the refrigerator for a few hours before baking. To cook, bake 14-16 minutes, turning the asparagus halfway through cooking. Sprinkle with coarse salt before serving.

Serves 4

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4. Horseradish-Crusted Beef Tenderloin

Beef tenderloin. Tender. Loin. True to its name, this is the butteriest cut of beef, the best of the best that we love to haul out for celebratory meals. Coated in a crust of spicy horseradish and Dijon mustard and then served with a zesty gremolata of parsley, rosemary and thyme, this flavourful, satisfying tenderloin is tops.

Ingredients

Beef Tenderloin

3lb beef tenderloin, center cut
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
½ cup bottled horseradish, drained and squeeze dried
2 tbsp olive oil

Herb Gremolata

3 tbsp chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Place tenderloin on baking sheet, pat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread Dijon mustard over the top and sides of the beef. In a small bowl stir the horseradish and olive oil together and then coat top and sides of the meat with the horseradish mixture. Roast for 45 minutes for medium rare, (when a meat thermometer registers 145ºF). Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

2) While the beef is resting, prepare the gremolata. In a medium bowl, combine the chopped parsley, rosemary, thyme, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss all ingredients together and spoon over sliced beef .

Serves 8

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5. Decadent Chocolate Rice Krispie Crunch Cake

This decadent Chocolate Rice Krispie Crunch Cake recipe is a tri-layered fudgy chocolate cake that’s filled with chocolate-coated rice krispies and slathered with creamy, smooth chocolate frosting.

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake Recipe

¾ cup semi sweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup cocoa powder
1½ cups boiling water
2½ cups + 2 tbsp flour
3 cups sugar
3 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp kosher salt
1½ cups buttermilk
¾ cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Milk Chocolate Rice Krispie Crunch

3 cups rice krispie cereal
2½ cups milk chocolate chips, melted

Creamy Chocolate Frosting

1 cup butter, softened
8 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
6 cups icing sugar
¾ cup whole milk

Directions

1) For the cake, preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat three 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and lightly spray again. Dust the pans with flour, shaking out the excess.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together semi sweet chocolate, cocoa powder and boiling water whisk until smooth. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a third bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla.

3) Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Add the melted chocolate mixture and continue to whisk until all ingredients are well combined. Pour batter into cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cakes completely before frosting.

4) For the Rice Krispie Crunch, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine rice krispies and melted chocolate and fold together until cereal is completely coated. Evenly spread mixture onto the baking sheet and place in the freezer for 20 minutes. Remove and chop into small pieces. Can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.

5) For the frosting, using an electric mixer, beat butter, melted chocolate, icing sugar and milk on low speed. Gradually increase speed to medium until frosting is fluffy.

6) To assemble the cake, place one 9-inch chocolate cake on a large plate, trim top to make it even and flat all over. Spread ¾ cup frosting on top and cover with 1 heaping cup of Krispie Crunch. Top with another 9-inch cake and repeat with frosting and crunch. Top with the final cake and frost. Cover the top of the cake with remaining crunch.

Serves 10-12

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6. Black Tie Martini

You don’t have to throw a fancy gala to enjoy this Black Tie Martini, a delicious combination of gin, vodka and white wine. What are you waiting for? Suit up!

Ingredients

3oz Gin
1oz Vodka
½ oz White Wine

Light corn syrup
Black and white sprinkles

Directions

To rim the martini glass, spread a thin layer of corn syrup around the rim and dip into sprinkles.
Fill a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice. Add gin, vodka and white wine. Shake and strain into prepared glass.

Serves 1

shots
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8. Hot Chocolate Shots

We love chocolate, so it should come as no surprise that we’ve brought our childhood favorite (creamy, dreamy hot chocolate) into adulthood with these whiskey and liqueur-spiked Hot Chocolate Shots.

Ingredients

2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
2 tbsp brown sugar
¼ cup whole milk
¼ cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup whole milk
1oz bourbon
½ oz Grand Marnier, or any orange liqueur

Whipped cream, for garnish
Orange zest, for garnish

Directions

In a medium saucepan, whisk together cocoa powder and brown sugar. Over medium heat, whisk in ¼ cup milk and semi-sweet chocolate, continuously whisking until melted. Add remaining 1 cup milk and heat through. Remove from heat and stir in bourbon and Grand Marnier. Pour into shot glasses and top with whipped cream and orange zest.

Yield: 4 Shots

Authors of bestselling cookbooks Bite Me and Bite Me Too, saucy sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat love eating, feeding, entertaining and dishing up easy recipes and forkin’ fun at BiteMeMore.com.

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