Dinner Tonight: Bacon-Boursin Soufflé with Spinach

I've made this soufflé a few times before. Usually as a side to a juicy steak. Tonight I thought it would make a nice main course served with a salad. It worked out perfectly. The kids had seconds, and ate them!

I found this recipe in Cuisine at Home magazine, the February 2006 issue to be exact. I had to dig through the archives today to locate it. Thankfully my magazines are sort of organized....anyway here it is:

Makes one 9" Soufflé

Total Time: About 1 1/2 Hours

Saute; Remove:

2 strips thick sliced bacon, diced

Saute in 1 T. Drippings; Add:

1/2 cup onions, diced

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Gradually Stir In; Add:

1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk

1 pkg. Boursin cheese (5.2 oz.)

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

Salt, white pepper, and ground nutmeg to taste

5 egg yolks

Reserved bacon pieces

Beat; Fold Into Base:

5 egg whites

1/4 t. cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the lower third. Generously grease a 9" soufflé dish with softened butter; coat the inside with 3 T. plain bread crumbs. Freeze the dish

Sauté bacon in a saucepan over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 1 T. of drippings.

Saute onions and pepper flakes in drippings until onions are soft, 4-5 minutes, stirring often; add flour.

Gradually stir in milk; bring to a simmer, stirring often to prevent scorching. Reduce heat to low, then add Boursin, spinach, Parmesan, and seasonings. Transfer to a large bowl along with egg yolks; stir in the reserved bacon.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar to stiff peaks in a bowl using an electric hand mixer on medium high speed. Lighten the spinach mixture with some of the whites, then carefully fold in the remaining whites.

Pour batter into prepared dish, place the dish on a baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 15-20 minutes. For the best presentation, serve immediately.

After dinner we were all in for a sweet treat. I have been exploring a lovely food blog, Smitten Kitchen, where I came across this today! Brown butter and a little salt make for a more adult krispie treat. Not to worry, the kids love them too!