Chobani Holiday Party {Event}

Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone! I’m blogging today from my in-laws on the NC coast.  We’re having a great time relaxing and visiting with family.

But today I want to recap an event I was very fortunate to attend over a week ago, that I just haven’t been able to find the time to write about.

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I was invited to the beautiful Chobani office with some of my fellow Charlotte foodie bloggers to cook in their test kitchen and enjoy a delicious Chobani-inspired holiday meal. Chobani staff and chefs were on hand to guide us as well as Amy, our lovely host for the evening.

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Before getting started on preparing our holiday recipes, we noshed on some yummy appetizers and wine.

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After a bit of socializing we were asked to choose a station and a partner and begin cooking the recipe at our station of choice.

Brittney and I chose station three which was a recipe for Smashed Potatoes and Broccoli.

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We were given instructions to quadruple the recipe so there was quite a lot of chopping and peeling involved in tight quarters.

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Lucky for me, my friends Andrea and Jarvis were just across from us and didn’t mind me taking up every bit of their personal space.

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Here’s Brittney, looking cute with her baby bump.

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As you can see, there were a whole lot of cooks in this kitchen!

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In between cooking, I mingled with some good friends.  The whole food and healthy living blogger scene in Charlotte is so friendly.  We’re like a little family.  So these events are extra fun because I really love the people attending the events with me.

I never know whose coming, but I always know someone fun, like Keia, will be there.

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It’s obvious that other people feel this way too.

But now, lets get to the main event.  The food!

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One of my favorites of the night was the pumpkin risotto.  Here’s my take on this yummy dish. Both are very good!

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This Chobani Gorgonzola Crostini was a delicious appetizer — a wonderful mix of sweet from the dried fruit and savory from the gorgonzola spread.

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There was also a velvety Roasted Butternut Squash SoupSteamed Asparagus with Chobani Hollandaise, and Holiday Stuffing.

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But the piece de resistance was the Iced Gingerbread Bundt Cake. I couldn’t believe that this cake had absolutely no butter or oil.  Even the glaze was made with Chobani yogurt. What was most shocking is that this cake wasn’t spongey like a lot of baked goods that have yogurt as a butter substitute.  I was amazed at how good it was.  Simply delicious.

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Here is my plate, plus a mug of butternut squash soup on the side.

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And of course, the highlight my meal was a piece of the cake.  I will most definitely be remaking this at home.

Thanks so much, Chobani for including me with all of these awesome bloggers and inviting me to be a part of this event.  I had a blast!

For more yummy recipes featuring healthy Greek yogurt, check out Chobani’s recipe page where you can find the recipe for the dishes shown here, plus many more.

**I was not compensated for this post or my time in the Chobani test kitchen.  All opinions, as always are my own.**