If I tell you I went a little crazy buying brie, I’m sure it wouldn’t surprise you. Of course, then the issue is what to do with all of it. Brie is not a regular item in our house, but it’s great for a change.
Just a few words about brie, in case you’re not that familiar with it. It has an edible white rind (and may have pale brown edges), and a cream colored, soft, buttery interior. Ripe brie has a short life, so buy it and use it.
The first thing I did was make a couple of individual brie and bacon pizzas. I’d love to tell you how wonderful they were, but I didn’t even get a bite. Don ate them both for lunch. So, I’m going to say that’s a pretty good endorsement! I used wholegrain flatbread as the crust, spread sun-dried tomato tapenade on, then sprinkled it with parmesan and covered it with slices of brie, and topped it with cooked crumbled bacon. Olives and sauteed onions would’ve been good additions. I’ll try them next time, and hide a pizza when I’m done.
The next recipe was really simple. I placed about 1″ squares of brie on a parchment lined baking sheet, and pressed a few crushed walnuts into each one. Then I sprinkled everything with herbs de provence. They baked at 350° until they completely melted, and got golden and crispy. Now, they were the perfect topping for soup or salad. Once you’ve created this crisp ingredient, there’s lots of ways you can use it, like top bruschetta with ricotta and some baked brie crumbles. They would also be fabulous on top of a creamy risotto. And how about taking mac and cheese to a whole other level using soft brie with the macaroni, then putting the brie crumbles on top.