#Winesday: Wine & Dine - Put Your Leftover Vino to Use

The holidays have nearly come and gone but, for most of us, one thing still remains: A countertop full of leftover vino just looking for a purpose! Put your 6 different bottles of opened wine to use in these drunkenly delicious dishes.

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The holidays have nearly come and gone (queue a simultaneous sigh of sadness and relief) but, for most of us, one thing still remains...a countertop full of leftover vino just looking for a purpose! Put your 6 different bottles of opened wine to use in these drunkenly delicious dishes.

White Wine 

Drunk Cheese Bread

Appetizer-sized serving

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup white wine (we recommend Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc!)
  • butter
  • ½ baguette, cut into 2-inch slices
  • ½ small yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • (optional) ⅛ pound thinly sliced cooked ham
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 ½ cup grated Gruyère
Instructions:
  1. Heat oven to 400. Butter a 9-inch ovenproof skillet or baking dish and arrange the baguette slices.
  2. Add the onion slices and ham (leave ham out of the dish for a vegetarian option!).
  3. Pour the white wine of your choice over the ingredients in the dish and sprinkle with Gruyère and black pepper.
  4. Bake until the cheese has melted and edges start to brown, approx. 20 mins.
  5. Spoon onto plates or dig right into the dish. Enjoy!

White Wine Cavatappi with Sausage & Cream Sauce

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup dry white wine (try Pinot Grigio or Falanghina!)
  • 1lb sweet or mild ground Italian sausage
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tbs vegetable oil
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tbs chopped fresh parsley
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 12 oz cavatappi pasta
Instructions:
  1. Shape Italian sausage into a large hamburger patty (about ½ to ¾-inch thick) and sprinkle both sides with baking soda. Let sit for 10 mins.
  2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, approx. 3 mins per side.
  3. Place cooked sausage on a cutting board and cut into ½-inch pieces.
  4. Transfer sausage to a bowl and add cream. Set aside.
  5. Begin cooking your pasta! Boil water and cook until al dente, reserving some pasta water for the sauce.
  6. While the pasta cooks, wipe out your skillet and add onion. Cook over medium heat until softened, approx. 4-5 mins.
  7. Add garlic to the onion and cook 1 for 1 min.
  8. Add white wine to the onion and garlic, cook until reduced in half.
  9. Add the sausage and cream mixture to the skillet, simmering for 3-4 mins.
  10. Add nutmeg, parsley, and Parmesan. Remove from heat and stir until cheese is melted. If the sauce is too thick, stir in some of the reserved pasta water.
  11. Toss sauce with pasta. Serve and enjoy, salud!

White Wine Ice Cream

Ingredients:
  • ¾ cup white wine (try a sweet white like Moscato!)
  • 3 tbs superfine sugar, heaped
  • 1 ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions:
  1. Combine the white wine and sugar into a large bowl, whisking until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Slowly whisk in the heavy whipping cream until the mixture begins to thicken
  3. Pour the mixture into a plastic container, cover and freeze until firm (approx. 3-4 hours).
  4. Scoop your white wine ice cream into a bowl or serve with Red Wine Fudge Brownies (hint: see below!). Enjoy!

Red Wine

Reverse Red Wine Fondue

Appetizer-sized serving

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups full-bodied red wine (try Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 tsp dry fruit pectin
  • Assorted cubed cheeses (we recommend Aged Gouda, Manchego, Aged Cheddar, or your favorite hard cheeses!)
Instructions:
  1. Combine the red wine and sugar in a 10-inch skillet. Cook over medium-high heat 2-3 mins or until the mixture comes to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook for approx. 20-25 mins or until mixture is reduced to about 1 cup.
  3. Stir in pectin. Continue to cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, cool completely.
  4. Serve as a fondue-esque dip, using your cheese cubes as dippers. Enjoy!

Coq au Vin

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup red wine (we recommend Pinot Noir or Aglianico!)
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 4 oz cremini or white mushrooms
  • 1 ¾ oz package of garlic-and-herb salad dressing mix
  • 1 small onion, large diced
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • 1 2lb chicken breast
Instructions:
  1. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the mushrooms and sauté until brown, approx. 3-5 mins.
  3. Add the onions and salad dressing mix to the pan and toss to coat.
  4. Stir in the wine and broth and cook until well-blended.
  5. Add the chicken, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for approx. 15 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through.
  6. Remove the chicken and veggies from the pan and increase heat to high.
  7. Boil the sauce until reduced and thickened.
  8. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve, say a toast, enjoy!

Red Wine Fudge Brownies

Makes one 8x8 pan

Ingredients: Brownies

  • ¼ cup red wine (we recommend Merlot or a New World Red Blend!)
  • 4 oz semisweet chocolate chunks
  • ½ cup butter
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • ½ cup flour
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
Glaze
  • 2 tbs red wine
  • 2 oz semisweet chocolate chunks
  • 1 tbs butter
  • pinch of salt
Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter an 8×8 baking dish and line with two sheets of parchment paper, then butter the parchment.
  2. Add 4oz of semisweet chocolate chunks and ½ cup of butter to a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with barely simmering water. Stir the mixture occasionally until its fully melted and smooth.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugars, and vanilla.
  4. Whisk the chocolate/butter mixture and the red wine into the egg/sugars mixture.
  5. Add flour, cocoa powder and ½ tsp salt and stir until the batter is smooth and slightly thickened. Fold in the chocolate chips, if desired.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepped baking dish and bake for approx. 15-20 mins. **Pro-tip: an underbaked brownie is better than an overbaked one! Enjoy a glass of wine for the first 15 mins then check to see if the brownies are done. If not, continue to sip for the last 5 mins!
  7. While the brownies are being baked and your wine is being sipped, start prepping the glaze by melting the rest of your chocolate (use the same heatproof bowl and saucepan with simmering water from step 2).
  8. Add 1 tbs of butter, 2 tbs of red wine, and a pinch of salt to the melted chocolate. Whisk until smooth.
  9. Pour the glaze over your warm brownies and spread to evenly coat.
  10. Cool brownies completely (if you can be that patient!) and cut into squares. These brownies are only made better when paired with White Wine Ice Cream (see above!). Enjoy!
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