Cheese Ball!

You know what's good? A big 'ole cheese ball. Sit down with that and some crackers and you have the happiest person in the world.

But why buy one, when you can make it? With the holidays coming up, it's the perfect time to hone your cheese ball making skills. Impress your friends and family with "I made it myself".

Cheese Holly Ball

8 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces blue cheese
4 ounces smoked processed Sharp cheese
2 tablespoons minced green pepper
2 tablespoons minced pimento
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley


Set cheeses out at room temperature. Blend all ingredients, except pecans and parsley, together. Chill. Shape into a round ball. Roll in pecans and parsley. Chill until serving time, improves with age. Garnish base of dish with holly leaves.
Receive compliments from grateful cheese ball eaters.

One Big Grater

A Cheesy Way to Celebrate the Fourth of July.

Some more great cheese sculpture.

Makin' Friends

So we had just moved to Milwaukee. We had come from the land below the border better known as Chicago. People were giving us alot of latitude. They understood our love for the Cubs. Begrudged our Bears baseball caps.

Our friendly new cheesy neighbors invited us over for a little get together filled with standard Wisconsin fare. When my wife offered to bring some brie...well that got a polite grin and a head nod. We show up at the party and there are cheese curds and white fish; Sprecher beer and California wine. My wife then unviels her baked brie creation and eyes widen in amazement.

The touch of preserves on the top of this pastry wrapped wheel of cheese is beautiful to behold. After the first of our new neighbors dipped into this we were deemed the "best new neighbors - ever." Hopefully we have lived up to that status.

Here's the recipe so you can gain fame and fortune too.

Ingredients

1/2 cup raspberry preserves

1/4 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed

1 13.2-ounce Baby Brie cheese (about 6 to 7 inches in diameter)

1 large egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Stir preserves, berries and rosemary in small bowl to blend. Season berry mixture with pepper. Roll out pastry on lightly floured surface to 12-inch square. Cut top rind off cheese; discard rind. Place cheese, rindless side up, in center of pastry. Spoon raspberry mixture onto cheese. Fold pastry on 2 opposite sides over cheese. Brush remaining 2 sides of pastry with glaze. Fold over cheese; press seams to seal. Brush pastry with glaze; place on baking sheet.

Bake cheese until pastry is deep golden brown (top of pastry may split open), about 30 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes. Place baked cheese on serving platter. Surround with crackers, baguette slices, and grapes.

For an added touch we've cut the extra pastry into seasonal shapes (leaves, pumpkins, fireworks) and attached them the pastry after folding it all in.

-Tom

Inspired by Purple

Walked to the farmer's market today and saw this beauty. Purple cauliflower. It was just calling to me. So I'm going to put my own twist on a recipe tonight from Bobby Flay. One wonders, will the dish look purple? Sure hope so! A great way to celebrate the last weekend of summer.

Cauliflower Gratin

Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

2 cups heavy cream

1 pkg Sargento Bistro Blend (Mozzarella & Asiago with Roasted Garlic)**my twist

6 oz goat cheese, in pieces

salt, pepper

Preheat oven to 400F

Layer cauliflower, heavy cream, and the cheeses in a casserole dish. Bake 2o-30 min until vegetable is soft and sauce has thickened. Let rest 10 min before serving.

Carol Dunne

One talented Cheesehead

True Italian Cheese

This last summer our family went on a vacation to Italy. My family which consists of 5 members went with my mom's sister and her husband and kids (which would be my Uncle and Cousins). We are close-knit bunch and spend most holidays together. After living in a Villa in Tuscany for 6 days, my Uncle wanted to end the vacation with a truly Italian style meal. Good old fashioned lasagna cooked by Penny and her family. The first picture is the Italian lasagna with all its cheesey goodness. The second is a shot of the group of us and Penny with her two boys and husband.
The meal was magnificent. Gooey, melty cheese, that left you in a food coma lasting several days. My cousins know the meaning of good cheese coming from good ol' Wisconsin--land of the cheeseheads. They have had some of the best, and claim that Wisconsin is home of the best. Needless to say, there was no comparison that night. This cheese was out of this world, the meal, the dish, the night--left memories we will cherish forever. This cheesey masterpiece caused us to go up for seconds, thirds, and for some FOURTHS.
It was a wonderful night, a night that topped off our vacation perfectly.

Sargento knows how to keep it interesting

Looking for a great Parm recipe, check out this Sargento web tip I found:

www.youtube.com/user/CheeseAdventurer1

Wish it didn't have such a corporate vibe. Still, it does inspire this cheese lover to throw my can of Kraft dried Parmesan straight into the trash.

c

Mmmm - crispy!!

This is just crazy simple and really really tasty. Perfect for any gathering. When a friend showed me this my jaw just about dropped because it was so easy and so good!

CHEESE CRISPS

Put a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and preheat the oven to 425.

On the parchment, make little round or oval mounds of your favorite shredded cheese. Try the Sargento Special Edition New York Sharp Cheddar - it's awesome this way.

Bake for about 8 minutes, removing before they get brown.

Let cool for a minute or two and you've got some delightful and kind of amazing little cheese crisps.

Cheese as art

This is hanging in my office. I've received many compliments on my cheese poster.

I was born loving cheese

I always say that loving cheese is a genetic thing. I was born and bred in Wisconsin after all.

When I was in 5th grade, I got a valentine's day present from my dad. Stuffed animal? No. Heart-shaped box of chocolates? No. My own little wheel of Gouda that I didn't have to share with anyone else.

-Sharon

Cheese Shop

You SAY you love cheese. You say you love cheese shops. Do you? Really?

Watch this posers!!!

Click here if you love cheese!!!.

Love,

ST5K!!!

Mission: the perfect white chili

Football tailgates are the ideal food research laboratory--sort of a spirited, grunting focus group. For my tailgate buddies routine, what started many years ago as lots of beer, tossing the football, and "mmmm, tasty brats, man!" has evolved to a little less beer and football tossing, and much more elaborate, higher quality food fare (most of which, not surprisingly, includes lots of rich, smooth cheese.)

Our parking lot feast now features specialties like smoked pulled pork and goat cheese sandwiches, BBQ chicken quesadillas, grilled mozzarella/basil gourmet pizza , slow roasted gumbo....and the ultimate tailgate classic: white chicken chili. The competition in the stadium pales in comparison to the dissing and trash-talking among my buddies when it comes to who makes the best white chicken chili.

After many seasons of sampling white chili offerings, we recently crowned the following recipe as the ultimate white chicken chili. The chef--Kelly K, from Lexington KY, claims that the secret to this beauty is the Jack Cheese. Find the best Monterey Jack and don't scrimp on it...in and on the dish.

3 cans Great Northern white beans
2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, grilled
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 med. onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 (4 oz.) cans green chilies (diced or chopped)
2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 cans chicken stock
3 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
Grill chicken and shred. Heat oil in pot over medium high heat. Add onions and sauté. Stir in garlic, chilies and spices. Sauté 2 minutes. Add beans, stock, and chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer at least 2 hours (the longer the better).
Add 1 cup cheese to chili and stir. Season to taste. Serve with remaining cheese and sour cream.

TGaterKen

Super Easy Awesome Baked Grilled Cheese For The Anti-Panini Set

Paninis are fine if you have fond memories of Cyrus Vance and Hamilton Jordan and you keep a "small place" in a quiet little nook in The Hamptons. But if you're a bit pressed for time, have listened to The Ramones at least once in college or drink beer out of a can when you're feeling naughty, then this recipe is for you!!!

I wish I could say I came up with this recipe. I can't. All I can do is take credit for it! I'm no glutton but I love eating 9 servings of grilled cheese by myself whenever I finish "peeling out" in my dad's GTO in the local high school parking lot. I'm capturing all these "peel outs" on video with the intention of uploading them to YouTube some day to impress my daughter. I'll post more about this later! You're getting hungry aren't you? Here's the recipe.

BAKED GRILLED CHEESE

PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 15 Min
READY IN 25 Min

SERVINGS
9

INGREDIENTS
18 slices bread
4 tablespoons butter
9 slices Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Butter one side of 9 slices of bread, and place butter-side down on a baking sheet. Arrange cheese on each slice of bread. Spread butter on 9 remaining slices of bread, and place them buttered-side up on top of the cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Flip the sandwiches, and bake an additional 6 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown.


Have at it, people!

Fondly,

ST5K!!!

special thanks to "Michelle" for the recipe and to "cookin'mama" for the photo which i edited a little bit.

Keep it simple - really simple

I'm one of those people that likes eating snack foods for meals. Like, I can eat just a big bag of chips or a dozen cookies for dinner and be happy. Anyway, this may sound a little barbaric, but one of the most satisfying meals I've ever had was cheese and sour cream. Yes, that's it. Just cheese and sour cream. I was in college, and my roommates made Mexican food for dinner. I missed it due to a late class, and when I came home, all that was left was some shredded cheese and a bit of sour cream. I was hungry, so I took the remaining cheese, mixed it with the remaining sour cream, and ate it. It was delicious. I realized right then how much I love that simple mixture, and I still snack on it to this day.

I know, it sounds very college-y, but if you like cheese and you like sour cream, try it sometime. Put a dab of sour cream onto a piece of cheddar or pepper jack. It rocks. I mean, people eat cheese for a snack all the time. Why not plus it up?

-Shen

Eat Cheese, It'll Make You Feel Better

So a couple of years ago I found myself at the Newberry Book Fair and wandered into the cookbook section. I must have been the only 20-something year old guy in the whole room – surrounding me were numerous Italian and Polish grandmothers who seemed quite amused to have a youngster joining them in their search to uncovered any hidden treasures. After 20 minutes of digging, I came across an old, dusty Italian cookbook with a cheesy cover (no pun intended) titled, “Eat This, It’ll Make You Feel Better” by Dom DeLuise. Price: $2.00. I figured, “eh, what the hell?!”

Two years and many cookbooks later, I still consider this one of my best. My wife’s favorite recipe, as well as one of mine, is “Dom’s Primavera”, posted below with a few extra tips that we tend to employ when cooking this dish. What’s amazing about it is that the parmesan cheese absolutely makes this pasta come alive. You wouldn’t think one ingredient could make or break a dish, but trust me - the cheese is hands down ESSENTIAL to this recipe!! Just try a bite before serving without any, than pile on the cheese and you’ll see what I mean! Enjoy!

• 5 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 4 tbsp olive oil
  
• 2 tbsp butter
  
• ½ lb asparagus, cut to bite-sized pieces
  
• 2 zucchini, thinly sliced (we recommend thicker slices, about a quarter inch or so)
  
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced (definitely stay thin here)
  
• ½ cup peas
  
• 1 cup broccoli florets
  
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
  
• 1 onion, sliced
  
• 6 leaves fresh basil, chopped
  
• 1 cup chicken broth
  
• 8-10 mushrooms, sliced
  
• 1 lb rigatoni pasta
  
• Parmesan cheese, such as Sargento® Hard Grating Parmesan Cheese, or Sargento® Grated Parmesan Cheese

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes. Add oil, and after about 30 seconds turn heat to low and add garlic. Gently sauté garlic in oil until slightly golden, a few minutes. Note: Your kitchen should be smelling friggen awesome right about now.

Add vegetables and basil, turn heat to medium/medium-high, and sauté until almost tender. Add chicken broth and mushrooms. Note: Have some extra white wine lying around?? Throw in a splash or two… or six… at this point. Bring to a boil, than quickly reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Mix well. Serve over pasta cooked al dente. Dish out the cheese like it’s nobody’s business (sprinkle generously over pasta). Enjoy!

- Rizzo

Chomlettes

Eating is supposed to be fun and filling. Why should it be boring? I love cheese so when shooting in NY one time, I kept having the guy making breakfast in the morning, make my omelette with lots and lots of cheese. He started calling it a "Chomlette". It caught on and many others started ordering chomlettes. Now I make one every Sunday for myself. Yum! Harvey