Oh, the humble popover. So crunchy, yet so soft in the middle. So sturdy and delicious, and, oh, so, addictive especially when loaded with aged sharp cheddar and dill. Are there enough adjectives in the world to describe how amazing they are?
Popovers are one of those foods that make people nervous, apprehensive, and (possibly) a little self-conscious. And I’m not talking about making them, I’m talking about eating them. Because typical popover pans (unless you own a swifty “professional” one), only make six at a time. Which means, only six get served. Now, while that might not sound like a mathematical problem, it is if you’re feeding four people.
Two people are going to be mightily disappointed. And that’s when things get a little tricky.
So, when we were getting ready to celebrate my cousin’s birthday and I decided to make popovers, I realized that we’d have exactly one each for everyone at the table. Sounds good, right? Six popovers, six people.
But, serving just one popover per person felt, well, chintzy.
And that isn’t the best look when you’re celebrating someone you love. So, I doubled up on the recipe, and learned some tips that I thought I’d pass along.
You’re Not a Superhero: Unless you’re Wonder Woman, you’re probably going to end up with some drips on the pan. So, while you’re preheating the oven a second time, wash and dry your pan so that it’s good to go for the second batch.
Give Them a Poke: Cut a slit into the popovers the second that they get out of the oven with a sharp paring knife. That allows steam to escape, and it keeps the popovers crisp and looking majestic.
You’re On Your Own Time: You can make these ahead and just rewarm them in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes.
Make it Pourable: Pour the batter into something with a spout like blender or 4-cup measuring cup. Sure, you’ll still get drips, but not as many as you’d get if you’re free form ladling the batter into the cups.
Heat it Up: Warming the milk to 120 degrees and melting the butter gives the popovers a head start for that glorious “pop!”
Mix and match cheese and herbs: If I wasn’t the only person in the family who loves blue cheese, these would have been blue cheese and black pepper popovers. But, because everyone loves cheddar and dill, that’s what I landed on. But, Monterey Jack and chili powder would be delicious, and mozzarella and oregano popovers would be super fun along a big bowl of pasta!
So, you CAN make popovers for a crowd, and barely break a sweat. Bonus points for an herby and lemony compound butter that’s so delicious that you’ll want to slather it on everything.
Double Batch Cheddar Dill Popovers with Parsley Lemon Butter
Ingredients
Parsley Lemon Compound Butter
- 1 stick salted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Double Batch Cheddar Dill Popovers
- 3 cups whole or skim milk
- 8 medium eggs
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Parsley Lemon Compound Butter
- Place all of the ingredients in a mini food processor, and pulse until combined.
- Spoon the butter into a small bowl, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Double Batch Cheddar Dill Popovers
- Preheat oven to 450. Place the popover pan into the oven for 10 minutes to preheat.
- Pour the milk into a medium saucepan, and warm gently over medium-low heat until it’s lightly steaming, and approximately 120 degrees. Remove from heat.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl (to double check there are no shells in the popovers), and pour them into a large blender. Process until frothy, and no streaks of yellow remain.
- Add the melted butter, flour, cheese, dill, salt and pepper to the blender. Process until smooth.
- Remove the popover pan from the oven, and spray liberally with cooking spray. (Inside the cups, and around them on top of the pan.)
- Pour mixture halfway up the cups.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Without opening the oven door, turn the heat down to 350 degrees.
- Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and cut a slit in each popover. Run an offset spatula around the popovers to release them, and place them on a cooling rack.
- Preheat the oven back up to 450 degrees.
- Let the pan cool for a few minutes and wash and dry if needed.
- Pour remaining popover batter halfway up the cups, and repeat the process.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in a paper bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.