The cold air has hit the Northeast and with that the winter holiday season is officially here. As the party invites start to roll in so do requests for potluck style dishes. From appetizers to desserts, party hosts are looking for fun, festive recipes to adorn their holiday spread. Well look no further than this Baked Brie deliciousness. It's sweet, a little salty and baked with all the warmth you come to expect of the holiday season.
Whether you are the host or need to bring a dish, raise your hand proudly and sign up to bring this. I promise you they will absolutely love it. Disclaimer: you might get asked to bring this year after year. You have been warned:)
Now before I tell you how to make this recipe Teena's way, let me say that this mama is no fan of Brie. Well that is until I tried this myself years ago at my sister-in-laws Thanksgiving party. Shout out to my SIL Ketna for this inspiration. One bite and I was hooked. It's part dip, part cheese board addition and a whole lot of gooey goodness to give you the warm, fuzzy feels.
Fun fact: Brie is a soft cheese made from cow's milk. It's named after a region in France where it originated from. Unlike other cheeses, the white rind is edible and is in fact mold. YUMMY! In this dish, keep the rind on but you can scoop out the melted cheese underneath by cutting a slit on top after it's done baking.
A Few Notes:
Iron Skillet: I use an 8" Lodge Skillet where I bake and present in one dish. This way I do not have to worry about transferring and ruining the beautiful, caramelized topping on top. Plus the skillet also retains heat keeping the Brie warmer for a longer period of time. And I absolutely love the rustic presentation of using a cast iron skillet.
Casserole: You can also use a small casserole style baking dish for the Brie. Just make sure it is oven safe to at least 400 degrees. Around the 8"-10"should do it. Can be round or even rectangular.
Caramelized Onions: You can actually caramelize the onions up to about 24 hours in advance, store in an air tight container and then place in the refrigerator. Note: Make sure the onions are cooled down before placing in the container. You'll finish the rest of the recipe just before placing in the oven.
Toppings: When I first had the Baked Brie, my SIL used craisins. When I went to replicate the recipe I used dried cherries simply because that is what I had in my pantry at the time. They are both equal substitutions so you can use either one and the measurements are the same. Both ingredients provide that tartness and sweetness which balances the balsamic vinegar reduction nicely. Also, one other Teena addition is candied pecans. Yes Candied Pecans!!! Do not omit this unless of course there is an allergy involved. The Baked Brie is sweet and tart with a gooey center but the candied pecans add a level of crunch that I didn't realize I need until I experimented with it.
Pairings: You've nursed over your balsamic onion reduction for 20 minutes and then baked your dish for another 20 minutes and you're thinking...Now what? Pair the Brie with your favorite bread and crackers. I use an assortment of hardy sourdough, French bread and my kids favorite, Cheesecake Factory brown bread. You can find the brown bread in your local grocery store where ever they keep the baguettes. Water crackers and Triscuits are also another option. In fact you can create a mini charcuterie board of breads and crackers for the Baked Brie. And lastly, nothing is more heavenly than cheese and wine. Uncork your favorite bottle of wine and enjoy.
Ingredients:
One Round Brie block, between 14 oz - 19 oz. Bring to room temperature by placing outside for about 3o minutes prior to baking.
One Medium Red Onion, thinly sliced - half moons
4 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar, can use light but prefer dark
2 Tablespoon butter, unsalted
1/4 Cup of Candied Pecans, roughly chopped
1/4 Dried Cherries or Craisins
Method:
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
In a sauté pan (not the iron skillet if that is what you are using for the final baking portion of this recipe) drizzle a little olive oil under medium heat.
Add sliced onions to the pan and sauté until they are translucent, about 10 minutes.
Reduce to medium/low and add Balsamic Vinegar, brown sugar and butter. You do not want the temperature too high as it will reduce too fast and become sticky.
Let the onions caramelize for at least 15-20 minutes but constantly ensuring the Balsamic vinegar has not reduced too much. Note: if you are making this the day before then this is where you will stop. Let the onions coo, place in an air tight container and store in the fridge. Take onions out about 3o minutes prior to baking.
Turn off heat and fold in pecans and cherries (or craisins).
Place your room temperature Brie in the middle of a skillet or casserole dish.
Place the caramelized onion topping on top of the Brie. You can add extra pecans and cherries (craisins) if you'd like.
Bake in oven for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Keep an eye out as to not burn the pecans.
Remove from oven and serve in skillet or baking dish. Remind your guests that the skillet will be hot. I highly recommend a silicone mitt for the handle. Unfortunately, mine did not come with one.
Tee Tip: If you are bringing this to a party, then stop at Method Number 8. Let the onion mixture cool, wrap up the container and bake at the location you are going to. This baked Brie is best when served hot. If that is not an option then go ahead and bake away.
Note regarding my video: I accidentally captioned it ..."Red Wine Vinegar Reduction but it is in fact Balsamic Vinegar Reduction. Unfortunately, I cannot edit it. Oops!
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