Stuffed Beets

I’m sitting here thinking about all of the posts we have done with beets this year. There have been some really good ones and some that I would tweak if I were to make them again. One thing I can say for all of them is that they have been fresh and colorful! Man do beets leave some color on your hands! Just a quick tip for you: clean your beet stained hands and your cutting boards with baking soda and water paste, it really helps! I always wear a apron and I know some of you like to use disposable gloves for the task. I for one, think that beets are totally worth the stains!

Tonight I roasted all 4 of my beets, 2 for now and 2 for later, why heat the oven up twice and why take the lengthy time for cooking them twice as well? My other two beets will be consumed at a later date.

I rubbed them with oil and wrapped them tightly in tin foil. Onto a cookie sheet and into the 400 degree oven they went for a good hour.

While they were cooking I made the filling for my cheese and bacon stuffed beets.

It starts with a quarter cup of sour cream and a quarter cup of parmesean cheese,

1/2 a cup of shredded Gruyere cheese and 1 clove of minced fresh garlic,

Black pepper

Crispy cooked and crumbed bacon, I used 6 pieces. There you have it, your cheese and bacon filling. Set it aside in the fridge until it’s time to stuff. When your beets are tender let leave the foil unwrapped and let them cool until they are able to be handed. At this point you get messy. I peel my beets under water, the skin should slide off easily. Cut the center of your beets out and put the insides in a bowl to save them for a later time. Also, make a clean slice on the bottom of the beet so it can stand upright. Lastly, I used a melon baller to help make space inside the beet for the filling. Here are the “guts” of my beets:

Stuff the beets full of the cheese stuffing and back into the oven they go for 15-20 minutes until warmed all the way through and the tops are browned a bit.