Chicken Pepper Paninis
Celebrate National Panini Month with these delicious paninis!
Posts Tagged ‘cheese’
Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagne
Happy birthday to Martha Stewart today! Try one of Martha’s recipes: Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagne.
Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
It’s National Blueberry Month and National Cheesecake Day- why not combine the two?
Cuban Toasties
It’s the 57th Anniversary of the Cuban Revolution, why not make this spin on a Cuban sandwich?
Chicken and Mushroom Quesadillas
Today is the 65th anniversary of the testing of what infamous explosive? Use one of the ingredients from the Recipe of the Day as a hint!
Seasoned French Fries
Happy 68th Birthday to Harrison Ford! We bet that Indiana Jones would approve of this Recipe of the Day:
Bison Burgers with Cabernet Onions and Wisconsin Cheddar
Today is a mixture of National Bison Month and National Grilling Month- throw these delicious Bison Burgers on the grill tonight!
I’ve never really met a cheese I didn’t like. I’ll even cop to the occasional burger with American cheese and have been known to eat the stuff from the squirty cans (a long time ago!)
My love of cheese made the prospect of a “cheese social” with 60 other like-minded people, a whole lot of Point Reyes Blue and Redhawk plus wine too hard to pass up. But what to serve alongside that would be unique and stand out? Sigh. The decisions I must make!
I felt like the occasion called for a recipe I’d clipped from a past issue of Gourmet magazine. Chardonnay Gelee (“no, it’s NOT jello”) sounded odd but interesting. The blend of reduced Chardonnay, sugar and star anise turned into a beautiful presentation which paired well with the more assertive types of cheese on display.
Chardonnay gelee.
Chardonnay Gelee
- 1 cup Chardonnay
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 segment star anise (not whole star anise)
- Scant teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4-oz envelope)
- 2 tablespoons water
Lightly oil a 1 cup ramekin or bowl. Bring chardonnay, sugar, and star anise to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Reduce heat to medium and gently boil until mixture is reduced to 1 cup, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over water in a small cup and let soften 1 minute. Stir gelatin into hot Chardonnay mixture until dissolved, then discard star anise. Cool slightly, then pour Chardonnay mixture into ramekin and chill, covered, until set, at least 8 hours.
Dip bottom two thirds of ramekin in a bowl of hot water 20 seconds. Run a sharp paring knife around edge of gelee, then invert ramekin onto a serving plate and, holding ramekin and plate together, firmly shake to unmold gelee.
Pairs well with rich, strong cheese such as aged chevre or Stilton on a thinly sliced baguette.
Recipe courtesy of Gourmet. Adapted from Bistro Le Crillon.
Good selections for pairing.
Who can resist these?
The other day I had a craving for macaroni and cheese – and not the stuff from the blue box. So I used an old recipe for white sauce and threw in some cheese (in this case gruyere, cheddar and parmesan) along with toasted bread crumbs on top. Delish! And fast.
Cheddar, gruyere and parmesan cheese and mac. Yum.
All purpose white sauce
- 2 T. butter or margarine
- 2 T. flour (all purpose)
- 2 cups milk (warmed)
- Salt (to taste)
- White pepper (to taste)
- Ground nutmeg
- Squeeze of lemon
- 10 oz. penne or other noodles
Other additions:
- Garlic (one clove, finely minced)
- Tabasco (just a few shakes)
- 1 T. Dijon mustard
Melt the butter on medium heat. When it bubbles gently, add the flour and stir well to combine. Cook the butter/flour mixture for about 1 – 2 minutes. Add the warmed milk and stir until it thickens. Add salt, pepper. If your sauce is bland, consider the lemon juice, garlic and Tabasco route (basic ingredients I use to “perk” up sauces).
Once your white sauce is made, add the cheese. Stir until melted.
- ½ cup gruyere
- ½ cup cheddar
- ½ cup grated parmesan
Note: you can use all gruyere (instead of the cheddar addition) if you prefer.
Pour over the pasta noodles and stir to combine. Pour into a casserole and top with toasted bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for approx. 30 minutes or until you see the mixture bubble vigorously.
Hashbrowns, eggs and cheese. A delicious combo!
It all started when my mother kept telling me how much people liked the funeral cake she served at a recent dinner. The first time I let it pass. Then later I just had to ask about the morbid name and why this dish was called such a thing. She said she didn’t know and that the recipe came from a family friend.
While researching funeral cakes online, I came across several recipes for funeral potatoes. Funeral potatoes are a staple in some religions and served at (you guessed it) funerals. The reason is because there are few ingredients – all readily available – which go together quickly and result in the perfect comfort dish.
When I thought about writing a post on the topic of “my favorite hashbrown breakfast casserole” I realized it’s my own version of funeral potatoes. And I laughed as I remembered that the first time I tried this dish I was at a funeral (but wasn’t really laughing then.)
My tradition now is a much merrier and happier one. I make this dish the night before Christmas and bake it the following morning as a warm-up for the gift unwrapping. It is a simple dish, but once your house begins to fill with the scent of cheese and potatoes you will feel a little more festive and a whole lot hungrier.
So whatever your reason for celebrating this season – from the team at Yummly.com – Happy holidays and best wishes to you and your family!
Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add 3 ½ cups frozen shredded hash browns to an 8” x 8” pan. Drizzle ¼ cup melted butter over top.
- Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Cool.
Mix together and pour over the baked hashbrowns:
Then top the entire mixture with:
- 1 cup grated cheddar
- ½ cup grated jalapeno cheese or Monterey jack
- Your choice of toppings*
Topping recommendations: diced ham, cooked sausage or bacon, diced tomatoes, red pepper, green onion and mushrooms.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.