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I was on vacation fishing last week and feel like I’ve shared nearly all of my best walleye recipes in this space before.  I wasn’t quite sure what theme to follow this week, so I just went with a little grab bag of some fun recipes to try!

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SWEET ONION 

SANDWICHES

1 (12-oz.) pkg. brioche dinner rolls (12 rolls)

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup quartered and thinly sliced Vidalia or other sweet onion (from 1 small [6 oz.] onion)

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, dill, or chives)

Using a serrated knife, trim tops, bottoms, and sides of brioche rolls to remove crusts; discard trimmings. Cut each roll using a 2 1/4-inch round cutter; cut rounds in half horizontally to create 24 thin rounds.

Spread each round with a thin layer of mayonnaise (about 1 1/2 teaspoons each). Top half of the bread rounds with onion (about 2 teaspoons each). Cover with remaining bread rounds, mayonnaise sides down, pressing to adhere and allow any excess mayonnaise to squeeze out slightly past bread edges.

Place herbs in a small bowl. Roll edges of each sandwich in chopped herbs, pressing lightly as needed to adhere herbs to mayonnaise. Serve immediately or chill, uncovered, for 1 hour before serving.

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BIRTHDAY CAKE BLONDIES

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 cup (8 oz.) unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. almond extract, optional

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles, plus more garnish (from 3-oz. container)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides.

Add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to a medium bowl; whisk to combine. Set aside.

Combine the butter and sugars in a large bowl; whisk together until smooth. Whisk in eggs, vanilla, and almond extract, if using, until combined.

Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Fold in white chocolate chips and sprinkles.

Add to the prepared baking pan and smooth into an even layer. Top with more sprinkles. 

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

Let cool for 1 hour in the pan before using the parchment paper as handles to lift the blondies out of the pan and onto a cooling rack. Cut into squares.

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BEACH DIP

6-oz.) container store-bought refrigerated French onion dip

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (from 4 [2 oz. total] medium scallions), plus more for garnish

1/4 cup finely chopped pickled red onions 

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Crushed crispy onion-ring packaged snacks 

Potato chips or cruditées, for serving

Stir together onion dip, scallions, pickled red onions, chives, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper in a medium serving bowl until well combined. Garnish with crushed Funyuns and scallions. Serve with dippers of choice.

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CAJUN SHRIMP 

CASSEROLE

2 lbs. unpeeled, large fresh shrimp

1/4 cup butter

1 small red onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper*

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups fresh or frozen sliced okra

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of shrimp soup

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

3 cups cooked long-grain rice

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Garnishes: quartered lemon slices, fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs

Peel shrimp; devein, if desired.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; sauté 7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in okra, lemon juice, and salt; sauté 5 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in soup and next 4 ingredients until blended.

Pour into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned. Garnish, if desired.

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TORTELLINI WITH BACON & PEAS

6 slices bacon, chopped (about 6 oz.)

1/3 cup minced yellow onion (from 1 small)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 tsp. ground black pepper

2/3 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup dry white wine (such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cups frozen peas

1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated cheese tortellini

1 1/4 cups freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp. minced flat leaf parsley

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium until crispy. Remove bacon from pan, and pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings.

Add onion and garlic to pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper; cook 3-4 minutes until softened.

Stir in chicken broth, white wine, cream, peas, and tortellini.

Bring to a simmer and cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta and peas are tender and liquid has reduced. Stir in cheese and lemon juice until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley and cooked bacon and serve.

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STRAWBERRIES & CREAM BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

1 cup (4 oz.) powdered sugar, plus more for garnish

2 (8-oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, at room temperature, divided

2 tsp. grated lemon zest, plus 1 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 1 large lemon), divided

1 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract, divided

2 cups fresh strawberries, divided

2/3 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs, divided

2 cups half-and-half

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Cooking spray

14 (4 1/2-in.) miniature croissants, divided

Whipped cream, for garnish

Whisk together powdered sugar, 8 ounces of the cream cheese, lemon zest, 1/2 tablespoon of lemon the juice, and 1/2 tablespoon of the vanilla in a large bowl until combined. Finely chop 1 1/2 cups of the strawberries, then fold into powdered sugar mixture; set aside.

Whisk together granulated sugar, 1 of the eggs, and remaining 8 ounces cream cheese in a separate large bowl until combined. Whisk in half-and-half, salt, and remaining 3 eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice until combined.

Coat a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Slice 12 of the croissants in half horizontally and place bottom halves in a single layer in prepared baking dish, cut sides up. Dollop croissants evenly with strawberry  mixture; replace top halves of croissants, cut sides down. Pour egg mixture evenly over top. Tear remaining 2 croissants into bite-sized pieces and tuck around croissant sandwiches to fill any gaps. Cover with aluminum foil and chill for at least 8 hours or up to 12 hours.

When ready to bake, let stand at room temperature while oven preheats to 325°F. Bake in preheated oven, covered, for 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until golden brown and set, about 20 minutes more. Let rest on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, thinly slice remaining 1/2 cup strawberries. Arrange sliced strawberries over casserole, dust with powdered sugar, and garnish with whipped cream.

TFD: "Today’s accomplishments were yesterday’s impossibilities." - Robert H. Schuller

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