Savory crepe fillings. Your ideas, please?

[happybellynh]

In my new effort to try to get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes, I'm thinking I need to add crepes to the menu. They're easy to make, and from what I hear, fridge/freeze well.

The trick: what to put in/on them.

Any thoughts on some interesting, quick, and affordable (read: cheap) fillings for dinner crepes... especially if they happen to include standard pantry items?

Thanks!

[lynnlato]

It's completely old school in my family to use crepes to make baked manicotti - and it's heavenly.

It's much easier than stuffing those tubes of pasta with a ricotta/mozz/spinach filling and it's so light and different. Just prepare as you would traditional manicotti, only stuff the crepes and roll up and place seam side down in a baking dish lined w/ sauce. Top with more sauce and bake.

Oh, and I will often make the crepes in advance and freeze them, separated by pieces of wax paper.

[chef chicklet]

I've made procuitto with fontina in a bechamel sauce, also tuna with fresh tomato and basil.

[benbenberi]

Shredded/grated cheese (Gruyere, cheddar, or swiss), a little ham (optional), and an egg or two -- put the ham & cheese onto the crepe in the pan, fry the egg directly on top of the cheese, fold the crepe over it all, and voila - excellent meal!

Esp. good if you're making a buckwheat crepe & serve it with a glass of fizzy cider, but any old non-sweet crepe will do.

[goodhealthgourmet]

some of my favorites that haven't been mentioned:
- ratatouille
- chana masala (or other spiced chickpeas)
- curried chicken
- crab and/or shrimp with a creamy cheese sauce
- chipotle chicken or turkey

don't forget that you can add various herbs & spices directly to the crepe batter to complement the filling.

[Joebob]

Leftover Thanksgiving turkey chopped up in leftover cream-based gravy.

[monavano]

Yes, anything creamy. Each spring I make morel and ramp creamy chicken and stuff the leftovers into ramp crepes the next day.

[monavano]

Agree with ham and cheese. I like to add a twist and make it into a Monte Cristo crepe, using turkey, ham, cheese and top with raspberry jam and powdered sugar.
Whatever leftovers you have on hand works too.

[alliegator]

That sounds like heaven! Will probably appear on my table this week.

[sunshine842]

the stand-by in France is any combination of ham, cheese, and eggs (all three becomes a crepe complete) - break the egg over the cheese, and cook until set.

Smoked salmon, mushrooms, crabmeat, tuna....pretty much anything that turns your crank is fair game.

[jdub1371]

I was at a crepe place last week and had what was pretty much a Denver scramble in a crepe: eggs, ham, onions, peppers. It was rockin' good. I'd like to make this myself and add a little cheese in there too.

[arp29]

I don't make crepes that often at home, but we get them at a restaurant in our town sometimes. I usually get the one stuffed with ratatouille or spinach, mushrooms, and gruyere. My husband typically gets the one stuffed with chicken curry or with ham, asparagus and gruyere. Here's the link to the menu if you need some more inspiration.

http://www.ravenouscrepes.com/Ravenou...

[happybellynh]

Thanks for all the great ideas!

I'm planning on these masa crepes from Splendid Table tonight (though without the chard/chile filling, as I haven't got those things). http://www.publicradio.org/columns/sp... Maybe a black bean and tomato filling instead?

And this weekend I think I'll make a big batch and try out some of your ideas!

[mickeygee]

Chicken breasts are poached and chopped into tiny cubes, and then mixed with ricotta, fresh corn and chopped red peppers and a little grated swiss. Kids and adults are known to gobble it up.

[CathleenH]

I had the same thought as you this week about making crepes for a series of fast dinners.

Tonight, our were filled with Jarlsberg and mushrooms sauteed with some white wine and cream.

Tomorrow, it will be sauteed leeks and brie.

[chefj]

Sausage and sauteed Apple with Gruyère.

[iL Divo]

sautee vegetables in chicken broth and reduce the liquid, season well.
when you've got a little broth and the veg is softened nicely, put into crepe
and add a slice of mozzarella or two, wrap and warm to melt cheese

[greygarious]

In Italy, crepes rather than pasta are sometimes used for manicotti/canneloni. So a cheese filling, topped with sauce and baked, is another way to go.

I have stretched a variety of leftovers by mixing them with a bechamel or mornay sauce and using them to fill crepes. Ditto for desserts, without the cream sauce of course. Melted jellies or pureed fruits are good drizzles in a pinch.

[arp29]

This is how my family makes their manicotti. So good! Much more delicate and tender than the boxed pasta manicotti.

[chef chicklet]

Yes! These are just excellent served as cannelon! Fresh pieces of crab in a sherry, bechamel sauce was a memorable meal at a wonderful Italian restaurant years ago. I loved them then, I love them now. Using fresh crab makes a huge difference. These are so delicate, but rich - mmmmmm! One of my son's Godmother's mother (got that?) - was Genovese. She would make crepes for the canneloni. I don't know what that wonderful woman put inside but these but they were so good it would make your eyes roll back in your head and want to kiss her.
Crepes so tender and the filling excellent.

[CWhite4475]

Although this has nothing to do with mnanicotti, I really need your recipe for Oatmeal Raisin cookies which you posted on a previous blog were really, really good. The blog was over a year ago????? Please share, I didn't see it anywhere.
Thanks.

[shoes]

Smoked salmon and sour cream/dill sauce.

[blue room]

I'm crazy for buckwheat crepes if you're using savory fillings, give that a try maybe.

And I use plain old mashed potato to bind my invented meat/vegetable fillings more often than I use a cream or cheese-based sauce. But season the plain old mashed potato well!

[tracylee]

Some deli-type sandwich fillings go well in crepes. We have a crepe restaurant nearby, and I've had the turkey/swiss crepe. There was a ham and cheese option. A light chicken salad would probably work well.

I haven't made crepes in awhile, but frequently make wraps. Now I'm thinking of making crepes again!

[katecm]

Shrimp (I get a 5 pound bag of frozen shrimp on sale and defrost as needed. Very affordable and quick protein), sauteed mushrooms and spinach, diced tomato, capers and a lemon garlic butter.

[Miri1]

Make tuna noodle casserole, but instead of mixing it with noodles, use the creamed tuna as a filling for crepes. It's really good. Salmon would would work in place of the tuna, too.

And for dessert, you can use cottage cheese and canned fruit to fill them with. Or a smear of cream cheese with a bit of jam or some fresh fruit.

[nemo]

Yes, crepes freeze well. Some recipes don't call for separating them before freezing, but I've found that a little wax paper between helps, especially if you have a large pack that you only want to grab four or six from.

If you make flavored crepes, you've got a head start. Frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed, or any fresh herbs like basil, dill or chives work great. I've made curry crepes that go well with leftover chicken in a cream sauce with peas.

I haven't tried, but you've got me thinking about using tomato paste or roasted red peppers. Either of those would be good with a quick saute of all the fresh vegetables soon to hit the stands or our CSA baskets.

PS I never use milk in my crepes, always plain seltzer water. Seems to make them lighter, especially when adding heavy ingredients like spinach.

[EmmaFrances]

Since asparagus is in season now, I'm making steamed asparagus with ham and a Gruyere sauce. I also like ratatouille and goat cheese.

[pinehurst]

If I can put it in a soft taco/tortilla, I put it in a crepe. I have used peppers, mushrooms and cheese. I've used canned caponata mix (sort of an eggplant spread). I've used very well drained cooked sausage and avocado....depends on what I have on hand. Sky's the limit.