This month I was honored to host my wonderful friends for Supper Club. I have spent months planning this little doo-dah, no, seriously.. I knew what I was preparing back in June. I’m hard core, it seems. I actually stole borrowed the idea from Firemom. You see, she has a Supper Club of her own.. one that has been going strong for many, many years- My fireman and I have been lucky enough to be invited a time or two, and I love her fellow Supper Club’ers just as much as I love my in-laws 
When trying to come up with ideas, she mentioned that she found these cute little bowls to serve Chicken Pot Pie in for her group- umm, hello. Gimme those bowls. Planning ahead for November- Chicken Pot Pie seemed fitting for this time of year.. I just needed to find those dadgum bowls- or at least something close to it.. more on that, later.. back to my precious friends.
So, what’s on the menu this month?
November Menu
Appetizer
Fall Pumpkin Dip
Fig & Goat Cheese Bruschetta
Main Course
Apple Iced Tea
Harvest Salad
with Cranberry Poppyseed Vinaigrette
Individual Chicken Pot Pies
Dessert
Chocolate-Butterscotch Bread Pudding
with Caramel Butterscotch Sauce
Skip the crust, skip the pie, dive into the dip! So light and yummy- a favorite in my house, and will be on the table for the incoming holiday!
Fall Pumpkin Dip
adapted from Pinterest
INGREDIENTS
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin pie mix
1 (5-ounce) box instant vanilla pudding
1 (16-ounce) container low fat whipped topping
Nutmeg and cinnamon to taste
Sliced fresh fruit, wafer cookies, graham crackers, ginger snaps.. you choose!
DIRECTIONS
Mix pumpkin pie mix, pudding, whipped topping, and spices together (by hand) in a very large bowl. Chill for several hours befpre serving. Sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve with choice of dippers!
Nutrition Information; Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
71 calories; Fat: 1.8 g; Carbohydrate: 14.2 g; Fiber: 1.3 g; Protein: 0.2 g
This was great for a savory appetizer paired with the goat cheese, but was even more delicious spread on wheat toast for breakfast the next morning.
Fig & Goat Cheese Bruschetta
adapted from Cooking Light
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups chopped dried Mission figs (about 9 ounces)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Nutrition Information; Serving Size: 2 bruschetta
138 calories; Fat: 4.7 g; Carbohydrate: 21 g; Fiber: 2.1 g; Protein: 4.2 g
Apple Iced Tea
Serves 8
Combine 3 cups chilled strong brewed tea, 3 cups apple cider, and 1/2 cup sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add 3 cups lemon sparkling water. Serve over ice.
Nutrition Information; Serving Size: 1 cup
69 calories; Fat: 0 g; Carbohydrate: 17.3 g
Harvest Salad
with Cranberry Poppyseed Dressing
INGREDIENTS:
Dressing
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 dried apricot, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 (8 ounce) bottle poppyseed dressing
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Salad
2 cups thinly sliced Belgian endive (about 2 heads)
1 (10 ounce) package baby romaine
1/4 cup bleu cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup walnuts, rough chopped
2 slices center cut bacon, cooked crisp
1 Granny Smith apple, cored, sliced, and cubed
5 dried apricots, thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS
Combine first 6 ingredients in a blender. Add cranberries, and pulse to combine. With blender on, slowly add dressing; process until well combined. Stir in pepper.
Combine endive and romaine, tossing evenly. Add in remaining ingredients, tossing to mix well. Serve with dressing.
Nutrition Information; Serving Size: about 2 cups salad greens and ~3 tablespoons dressing
251 calories; Fat: 18 g; Carbohydrate: 19.5 g; Fiber: 2.8 g; Protein: 5.5 g
So here we are..the main course. After weeks of trying to figure out what I was going to serve my pies in, I had decided on some from my favorite store ever.. You guessed it, Williams Sonoma. After putting off my spending for eight bowls, I was randomly at a HomeGoods store looking for coasters and came across three Le Creuset 5-inch baking dishes.. Wow- PERFECT. How mu.. six dollars. What? I must make a set.
After driving to four..um, five cities I ended up with nine (in case one broke..which is almost a guarantee in my world.)
Creamy Chicken Pot Pie
adapted from Paula Deen
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup white wine
2 (10 ounce) cans Healthy Request cream of celery soup
1 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup white wine
2 (10 ounce) cans Healthy Request cream of celery soup
3 (10 ounce) cans Healthy Request cheddar cheese soup
1 cup low fat (1%) milk or fat-free evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups diced red potatoes, boiled for about 10 minutes to soften
1 cup frozen golden corn
1 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots, steamed
2 1/2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 boxes rolled refrigerated pie crusts (I used Pillsbury)
2 boxes rolled refrigerated pie crusts (I used Pillsbury)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat oil in a large dutch oven, add diced onion and saute until golden, stirring frequently, about 6 minutes. Add in garlic and bloom for about 1 minutes, careful to not allow garlic to burn. Deglaze the pan with the wine, allowing it to simmer and reduce for about 3-4 minutes. Stir in both soups and milk, bring just to boil. Add in remaining ingredients, stirring to combine- adding more milk as needed if mixture is too thick. Reduce heat to low, and simmer to wamr through.
While pie mixture is heating, prepare your individual pie dishes. Using one (of two) boxes, unroll the pasty dough and divide each circle into four. (You will have eight total using the entire box.) Lay circle quarters in the bottom of each dish- it wont fill the entire bottom, and thats okay
Fill each pot with about 1 cup to 1 and one half cups of chicken mixture. Do not fill to the top, it will bubble over when heated. With the other box of pastry, slice thin strips to use for the top, arranging lattice style (four strips vertically and four horizontally)
Place pies in the oven and heat for about 45 minutes, or until pastry is golden and filling is bubbly.
Nutrition Information; Serving Size: 1 pot pie
483 calories; Fat: 19.9 g; Carbohydrate: 50.6 g; Fiber: 3.5 g; Protein: 20.9 g
Oh my.. introducing a tweak on my award winning bread pudding. I almost **gasp** like it better than the original! It sure looks pretty..and it tasted amazing!
Chocolate-Butterscotch Bread Pudding
with Caramel Butterscotch Sauce
INGREDIENTS
12-14 large croissant rolls
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups brown sugar
4 cups half and half
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Caramel Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup butterscotch chips
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a 9×13 baking dish, tear the criossant rolls into pieces.
Combine the butter and sugar in a large saucepan. Stir over low heat until smooth and bubbling at the edges, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of the half and half and the salt. Increase the heat to medium high and bring almost to a boil.
Whisk the eggs and egg yolks with the remaining 2 cups of half and half and the vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Slowly pour the hot half and half mixture into the bowl, whisking constantly. Pour over torn criossant rolls. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Place dish in the middle rack of the oven and cook until golden and set in the middle, about 45 minutes.
Prepare sauce while the pudding is baking. Combine butter and sugar in a small saucepan, heat until butter is melted. Add in butterscotch chips- stirring quickly to melt it, being careful not to burn the candies. Pour in heavy cream, stir to combine- caramel will become silky. Serve over bread pudding.
Nutrition Information; Serves 20
523 calories; Fat: 29.9 g; Carbohydrate: 50.1 g; Fiber: 2 g; Protein: 8.1 g
523 calories; Fat: 29.9 g; Carbohydrate: 50.1 g; Fiber: 2 g; Protein: 8.1 g
The evening ended as it usually does.. stuffed and sleepy on the sofa watching some sporting event. After months of the Texas Rangers filling our screen- we caught the LSU/Alabama game this time. What a game! I heart football, too
Next month is SC: a holiday edition- I see oodles of twinkle lights and a salted caramel mocha in my future!
Oh my friends and I used to have a weekly "dinner party". It was the BEST. This looks like so much fun–lots of hard work! The recipes look great too. I especially want to try those apps.
You may already know this, but you are the "Cook of the Week" on Allrecipes.com! How fun!