Stuffed Belgian Endive with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

• Lately I've been trying to cut down our grocery bill.  The purse strings are tight after our wonderful holiday.  I TRIED to get hubby to start purchasing gifts for our family in July.  That way we wouldn't feel the pinch right at the holidays.  But of course he thought this was crazy.  His thoughts were that we had tons of time.  This year I am determined to get an early start on next year's holiday shopping, whether he likes it or not.  

But I digress.  Because I'm trying to save us a little money, I've found several great recipes through the Food Network website that won't break the bank.  One delicious dinner I recently made for the hubster was from Melissa d'Arabian's show called Ten Dollar Dinners.  She took crisp Belgian endive and stuffed it with cheese, wrapped it in deli ham, covered with a mornay sauce, and baked until hot and bubbly.  It was cheesy and gooey and delicious.  I did make a few changes to my version of the recipe.  My husband and I aren't huge fans of Swiss cheese, so we substituted Gruyere instead.  I served roasted Brussels sprouts for my side and it was a delicious dinner!  Try it today!

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• Stuffed Belgian Endive (From Ten Dollar Dinners on Food Network)
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• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk, heated
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss, divided
• 4 small to medium Belgian endives
• 4 small slices Swiss
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 thin slices deli ham
• Vegetable cooking spray
• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• Special equipment: small rectangular baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add in the milk, whisking constantly. Allow the mixture to cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the mustard, garlic, and 1/4 cup shredded cheese.

Meanwhile, cut off the woody stems of the endives and make a deep slit into them lengthwise, not quite cutting them in half. Place a small slice of cheese in the center of each endive. Season with salt and pepper and roll each endive in a slice of ham. Place the wrapped endives, seam-side down, in the prepared baking dish.

Stir the sauce to blend the cheese into the mixture and pour over the endives. Cover with foil and cook for 25 minutes. Uncover, and add the remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Raise the heat to 400 degrees F and cook for 10 minutes more. Let cool a few minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley to garnish.

Cook's Note: If Belgian endive is unavailable, substitute small wedges of cabbage and increase the cooking time by 10 minutes.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction and Cranberries (From The Pioneer Woman on The Food Network) 

• 3 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Trim/clean the Brussels sprouts, then cut them in half. Arrange on 2 baking sheets and toss with the olive oil. Roast until brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Combine the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and reduce until very thick.

Drizzle the balsamic reduction over the roasted sprouts, then sprinkle on the dried cranberries.