Cheese, Glorious Cheese!!

[ORChick]

Free, ORChick those recipes sound amazing! YUM!! (And how can anyone NOT like cheese? Baffling!)

Oh, BTW, I'm making that cheese souffle (recipe on first page) as we speak. I'm just letting it cool down to room temp as I write this. I'll give you an update, but so far it is easy! Just have to whip up the egg whites, fold them and some cheese in gradually and pop it in the oven. It took me all of 10 minutes to prepare.

BBH, souffles have a reputation for being very finicky, and they scare off a lot of cooks. I'm glad you are finding out that they aren't so hard. I haven't made one in years (what's the point? DH doesn't eat cheese , though he'd probably love a chocolate souffle, or Grand Marnier). I do make what I call a cornmeal puff on occasion though. It is kind of like a souffle, but even less finicky. I have a couple of small baking dishes - I get the one with lots of cheese; he gets the one with just cream cheese As you see, this is very flexible. (The optional ingredients really aren't; they can be left out, but I wouldn't.)

Cornmeal Puff - this is for 2 people

1 1/8 cup milk
3/8 cup cornmeal
salt and pepper
3 eggs, separated
2 oz. cheese (though I usually end up using more) - any kind
-- I use some cream cheese, and then whatever is handy - chop or shred hard cheeses, remove the rind from soft ones like Brie or Camambert; fresh goat cheese would be nice
Optional - Vegetables of choice, cooked (e.g. sauteed garlic or onions; cooked spinach, drained and chopped; roughly mashed cooked carrots; etc.)
Optional - Chopped herbs of choice - parsley and chives at a minimum, I would say
Optional - 2-3 Tbls grated Parmesan, or grating cheese of choice

Heat milk to a simmer; whisk in cornmeal, salt and pepper. Cook, whisking/stirring, until thick. Stir in cheese. Cover, and remove from heat for 5 minutes. Stir in egg yolks,veg., herbs, Parmesan. Beat egg whites till stiff. Stir half of the whites into the cornmeal mixture to lighten it, and fold in the remainder. Pour into greased baking dish(es), filling about 2/3 full (I just looked; I use 2 flat Pyrex dishes, each about 2 cups). Bake in a pre-heated 450* oven for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 375* and bake for another 20-25 minutes. Mixture should be browned on top, and set, but still creamy in the middle.

Edited because I can't spell

 

[Hattie the Hen]

I love your recipes everyone & I would love to add one of my favourites.

Whenever I make crepes I make extra & these I use to make a kind of lasagne.

I take lightly-cooked stalks of fresh asparagus (one per roll), a thin slice of ham (home boiled bacon or any of the expensive European smoked or air-dried ones) plus a thin slice of your favourite cheese & roll them inside the crepe. Then I make a white sauce/ bechamel & cover the bottom of a greased baking dish, add a layer of cigar-shaped crepe rolls & cover the lot with more white sauce. Top with a layer of parmesan cheese, breadcumbs & more cheese, dot with butter & bake in oven till bubbly.
*** You can make individual ones if you want to. They are good for smart dinner parties.....!!

I have also made vegetarian ones with previously roasted summer vegetables that I had a glut of -- zucchini, aubergines, scallions etc A great way to use leftovers. In Italy I had this with meat sauce inside, made by a farmer's grandmother when she hadn't got the time to make fresh pasta sheets for a traditional lasagne. She put the dish inside a heavy Duch oven & cooked it in the embers of an open fire in her kitchen. It was wonderful with the wild salad she had picked from the hills --- Ah such memories .... from the late 1960's I think....!!

You can make these ahead of time & freeze them. I actually prefer them to the more usual lasagne.



Hattie

 

[Javamama]

Cheese is a staple for us. I love a good, sharp, white cheddar. And Havarti is a favorite too. Havarti on eggs is divine. And Longhorn Colby is my favorite from childhood.

Our Kroger got me hooked on a spread that is simply shredded Gruyre (I think, can't remember exactly at the moment),*correction, it's Jarlsberg cheese* Hellmann's mayo, and diced red onion. Oh my. They always have samples of it sitting out and I cannot resist.

I do not care for stinky cheese. Sharp is my true love.

 

[Dace]

BBH....how was the souffle?

 

[HiDelight]

what a great thread thanks BBH I am going to go and get some chorizo and cheese today and make dip....


no there is not a cheese I will not eat


Stilton is my absolute favorite stinky cheese

smells like feet tastes like heaven ..how can that be? but it is!!!

hugs and Happy New Year to you!

 

[big brown horse]

Hi Hattie and HiDelight!

I knew the smell of cheese would lure you over here!

Good MORNING!!! And thanks for the recipes!

The souffle was the most wonderful, to-die-for entree I've ever had. My mouth was in heaven!

I remember sit coms in the 70's had a mom trying to make a souffle and the child would slam the door and the souffle would flatten, after all that "hard" work.

I was very careful to "fold" the ingredients together right before I popped it into the oven. It rose about 1 inch and baked to a beautiful golden brown.

I served it with a dark green salad. It was a big hit!

 

[Dace]

 

[big brown horse]

Cauliflower Gratin with Gruyere and Hazelnuts


1 medium head cauliflower (2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds)
Salt
1/2 cup crme fraiche (store bought or homemade - see recipe below)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Gruyre cheese, divided
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry, unflavored bread crumbs
3 tablespoons hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped*
2 tablespoons chopped chives or flat leaf parsley for garnish

* To toast hazelnuts, spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until browned and fragrant, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and when cool enough to handle, place nuts in a kitchen towel and rub together to remove as much of the skins as possible.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart oven-to-table baking dish or gratin pan; set aside.

Cut off and discard base of cauliflower, then cut the head into small, individual florets.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Add cauliflower florets to pot and cook until tender (but not mushy) when pierced with a sharp knife, about 5 minutes. Drain florets and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.

Place cauliflower in prepared dish and toss with crme fraiche and half of the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining cheese over cauliflower, then top with bread crumbs and hazelnuts. Bake on center rack of oven until cheese has melted and bread crumbs and nuts are golden, 20 to 25 minutes or more. Garnish with chives or parsley.

Serves 5 to 6.


Creme Fraiche
Crme fraiche is available in many supermarkets. If you can't find it, the following recipe works well. It needs to be made at least 6 hours in advance.

1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sour cream (or slightly drained kefir/or plain yogurt)

Whisk cream and sour cream together in a medium non-reactive bowl. Let stand at room temperature until thickened, 6 hours or longer. Cover and refrigerate. NOTE: Crme fraiche can be stored up to 1 week, covered, in refrigerator.

Makes about 1 1/3 cups.

 

[big brown horse]

And for my fellow beer drinkers.....

Beer Cheese Soup


1 cup butter
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 (12-ounce) can beer (preferably flat)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh parsley

In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add celery, carrots, and onion; saute until tender but not brown. Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon, reserving butter in soup pot. Place vegetables into a food processor blender; whirl until smooth; set aside.

In the soup pot over medium heat, make a roux with reserved butter, flour, and prepared mustard. Gradually add chicken broth, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture just comes to a gentle boil and is thickened.

Reduce heat to low. Add beer and stir to combine. Mix in pureed vegetables and cheddar cheese; simmer another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Remove from heat. Serve in soup bowls topped with parmesan cheese and parsley.

Makes 8 servings.

 

[sylvie]

Cauliflower Gratin with Gruyere and Hazelnuts


1 medium head cauliflower (2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds)
Salt
1/2 cup crme fraiche (store bought or homemade - see recipe below)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Gruyre cheese, divided
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry, unflavored bread crumbs
3 tablespoons hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped*
2 tablespoons chopped chives or flat leaf parsley for garnish

* To toast hazelnuts, spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until browned and fragrant, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and when cool enough to handle, place nuts in a kitchen towel and rub together to remove as much of the skins as possible.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart oven-to-table baking dish or gratin pan; set aside.

Cut off and discard base of cauliflower, then cut the head into small, individual florets.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Add cauliflower florets to pot and cook until tender (but not mushy) when pierced with a sharp knife, about 5 minutes. Drain florets and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.

Place cauliflower in prepared dish and toss with crme fraiche and half of the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining cheese over cauliflower, then top with bread crumbs and hazelnuts. Bake on center rack of oven until cheese has melted and bread crumbs and nuts are golden, 20 to 25 minutes or more. Garnish with chives or parsley.

Serves 5 to 6.


Creme Fraiche
Crme fraiche is available in many supermarkets. If you can't find it, the following recipe works well. It needs to be made at least 6 hours in advance.

1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sour cream (or slightly drained kefir/or plain yogurt)

Whisk cream and sour cream together in a medium non-reactive bowl. Let stand at room temperature until thickened, 6 hours or longer. Cover and refrigerate. NOTE: Crme fraiche can be stored up to 1 week, covered, in refrigerator.

Makes about 1 1/3 cups.

Unbelievable! I have all these ingredients on hand!Thanks for such a great recipe. I'm making that tonight before I am tempted to sit down with the Gruyere in front of the TV!