Food is fuel for the soul. We decided at NBTX City Lifestyle that we wanted to help you with some delicious food this Fall. All the partners came together to show the dishes they love to feed their families and share with you. We held a very competitive and fun potluck competition with judges from the City of New Braunfels to help determine the best dishes to go into your homes. The winners are sharing their recipes with you, so you can recreate these amazing dishes at home. We hope you love and enjoy them as much as we did!
Appetizer
#1 - Schon Interiors
Charcuterie with Million Dollar Dip
Ingredients
Charcuterie
- Assorted cheese, meats, fruits, veggies, and crackers
Million Dollar Dip
- 16 oz sour cream
- 1 oz packet ranch dressing mix
- 3 oz bacon bits in the packet, not the plastic jar
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Sliced green onions for garnish if desired
Directions
Cut cheese, meats, and veggies into bite-sized or two-bite pieces. Arrange on serving plate. For the dip, mix sour cream with ranch dressing mix. Fold in bacon bits and shredded cheddar cheese. Garnish with sliced green onions. Serve chilled.
#2 - The Oscar at Veramendi
Roasted Beef Tenderloin & Yukon Gold Potato Bites
Ingredients
- 2-pound center-cut beef tenderloin roast, trimmed and tied
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for the potatoes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 12 small Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 packed cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves or 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 24 cocktail picks
Directions
Heat the oven to 350°F. Pat the tenderloin dry, rub it with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast for about 50 minutes, checking early with an instant-read thermometer because thickness and starting temperature affect cooking time. Cook until the center reaches 145°F, then rest for at least 3 minutes. Toss the Yukon Gold rounds with 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder, and the remaining salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast at 350°F for 30–40 minutes, turning once, until browned and tender. For the chimichurri, finely chop the parsley and oregano. Stir with garlic, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, and extra-virgin olive oil. Season to taste and let stand for at least 15 minutes. Cut the rested tenderloin into thin slices sized to fit the potato rounds. Place one slice on each warm potato round and secure with a cocktail pick if desired. Spoon chimichurri over each bite just before serving. Arrange on a warm platter and serve immediately.
Entree
#1 - Lonestar Air Services
Smoked Brisket
Serves 12 to 16
Ingredients
- 1 (12-pound) whole brisket
- Yellow mustard (used as a binder)
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Meat Church Holy Cow BBQ Rub
- Meat Church The Gospel All Purpose Rub
Directions
Preheat your smoker to 200°F. Coat the entire brisket with a thin layer of yellow mustard. Season generously with fresh cracked black pepper, followed by an even coating of Meat Church Holy Cow and Meat Church The Gospel seasoning. Place the brisket on the smoker and cook at 200°F until the internal temperature reaches 175°F, usually around 12 hours. Once the brisket reaches 175°F, wrap it tightly in unwaxed butcher paper. Increase the smoker temperature to 250°F and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 200°F, about 2 additional hours. Remove the brisket from the smoker and place it, still wrapped, in an insulated cooler. Allow it to rest for at least 2 hours before slicing. Slice only when you're ready to serve to help the brisket retain its moisture.
Steven's Tip: “The rest is just as important as the smoke. Give the brisket at least two hours in a cooler before slicing, and don't cut it until everyone is ready to eat.”
#2 - K5 Storage
Creamy Tuscan Parmesan Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼-½ tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained & chopped
- 1 tbsp oil from the sun-dried tomato jar
- 8 oz reduced-fat cream cheese
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 3 cups baby spinach
- Fresh basil & Parmesan shavings for garnish.
Directions
Place chicken breasts in the crockpot. Season with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper. Add minced garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken broth, and 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil. Place the cream cheese on top. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or until the chicken reaches 165°F and is tender. About 30 minutes before service, gently stir the cream cheese into the cooking liquid. Add Parmesan and spinach. Cover and cook until the spinach wilts and the sauce is creamy. Top with fresh basil and Parmesan shavings just before serving.
Side Dish
#1 - EdenHill Communities
Don’t Be Crabby Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- Package of tri-color pasta, cooked and drained
- 1 small bag shredded carrots
- 1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
- 2 bags snow peas, diced
- 1 container cherry tomatoes, diced
- 1 bunch green onion, sliced
- 1 large cucumber, diced
- 2 packages imitation crab, diced
Dressing
- 1 large squeeze bottle of mayonnaise
- 16 oz sour cream
- Tony’s Chachere’s Seasoning
- Uncle Chris’ Gourmet Steak Seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
Directions
In a very large bowl, add your cooked pasta and the rest of the ingredients. Ensure pieces are cut into bite-sized pieces. Mix and set aside to allow the pasta to cool. While that’s cooling, mix your dressing. In a side bowl, mix your mayonnaise, sour cream, and an ample amount of all the seasoning. Stir well. Once combined, add to your cooled pasta salad and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (longer is better). Take out of the refrigerator, stir, and serve chilled.
# 2 - Elevated Eye Care
Crispy Parmesan Smashed Potatoes with Creamy Garlic Herb Dip
Ingredients
Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
- Baby potatoes
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Grated parmesan
Creamy Garlic Herb Dip
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- 2 tablespoons green onion
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt, black pepper
- Squeeze of lemon
Directions
Boil baby potatoes in well-salted water until fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and let steam-dry for a few minutes. Put on a sheet pan and smash each potato with the bottom of a glass. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan. Bake at 425°F until deeply golden and crispy, about 25-35 minutes. Finish with a little extra Parmesan and chopped parsley. For the creamy garlic herb dip, mix together all ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Dessert
#1 - T.A. French
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
This recipe makes 24 cupcakes using tulip liners.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 4 eggs
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup chopped pecans
For the frosting
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups chopped pecans
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour pan(s). Beat together eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl. Gradually mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan(s). Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to completely cool. For the frosting, combine butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy. You can stir the chopped pecans in if you’d like or use them on top of the frosting. Wait until the cake is fully cooled before frosting.
#2 - New Braunfels Blinds and Drapery
Croatian Lemon Cake
Ingredients
For the base
- 65g cold, unsalted butter
- 340g plain or all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 150g caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1-2 tbsp milk, as required
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the lemon topping
- 100g unsalted butter, melted
- 200g caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 medium lemons, juice and zest
- 100g ground almonds
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F and place a baking tray in the oven to heat up. Weigh your butter and pop it in the freezer to harden before you grate it. Grease and line your cake tin. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar to a mixing bowl, then whisk together. In a separate bowl, beat the egg with 1 tbsp of milk and the vanilla extract. Take butter out of freezer and grate directly into flour mix. Stir to combine (Tip: Use a butter knife to stir). Add the egg mix to flour and butter mix. Use your hands to simply bring the dough together; it should be sticky. If necessary, add extra milk. Flour your fingers and push the dough into the cake tin and up the sides, ensuring consistent thickness. Place the base in the fridge while you prepare the lemon topping.
For the topping, melt butter and set aside. Beat eggs and sugar until light and frothy, approx. 5 minutes. Fold in lemon zest and juice, ground almonds, and melted butter. Pour into the base. Place on a hot baking tray in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The top should look like light meringue, but the center of the cake should still be a bit jiggly. Leave to cool in the tin for 30 minutes before removing.