Cheese could be a food group all its own! Whether you’re looking for appetizers, main courses or even desserts, cheese can easily be a core ingredient. A lot of the cheese dishes in this collection can be made ahead and travel well, perfect for your next community association block party! A good cheese plate is also a thing of beauty.
- If you’re interested in making a good basic cheese plate for that block party, you need to include a good variety. Four kinds of cheese is a good number, maybe five if you’re serving a crowd.
- Think about who will be eating the cheese. If your audience includes children, make sure there’s at least one familiar variety such as cheddar or Monterrey Jack. When serving a more sophisticated crowd, go wild with exciting blue cheeses like Stilton or St. Agur.
- Vary your textures and milk types. Consider having one cow’s milk cheese, one sheep’s milk and one goat milk, if your audience will enjoy that.
- Mix harder cheeses with softer ones; pair a Brie or Camembert with Parmigiano-Reggiano and a medium cheese like a good Irish cheddar or gouda. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination!
- Two caveats: don’t load your cheese plate with flavored cheeses and keep any toppings (a balsamic drizzle is delightful with Parmigiano-Reggiano) to the side, not poured over the cheese.
- NEVER serve a cheese plate fridge cold. Cheeses need to come to room temperature for their flavors and textures to develop.
- Keep crackers or toasts simple, not heavily flavored. The cheese is the star!
Check out the recipes below and get cooking!
Whether you’re hosting a party or casually dining with friends, appetizers are essential to any get together. Consider kicking it up a notch with this classy snack spread. Honey’s satin-coated sugariness forms a perfect alliance with pancetta’s salt-cured flavor, making this salty-sweet appetizer both delicious and gorgeous. (Image via Eat. Drink. Smile.)
Whether you’re hosting a party or casually dining with friends, appetizers are essential to any get together. Consider kicking it up a notch with this classy snack spread. Honey’s satin-coated sugariness forms a perfect alliance with pancetta’s salt-cured flavor, making this salty-sweet appetizer both delicious and gorgeous. (Image via Eat. Drink. Smile.)
| Servings |
| 6servings |
| Servings |
| 6servings |
Ingredients
- 1/3 lb Pancetta thinly sliced
- 1 Bartlett Pears sliced into rings
- 1/4 cup Goat Cheese crumbled
- Freshly Cracked Pepper to taste
- Honey for drizzles
- Thyme Sprigs to garnish
Servings: servings
Units:
|
Ingredients
Servings: servings
Units:
|
Instructions
- Line a medium-sized baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange pancetta slices in a single layer.
- Bake pancetta at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for eight to 10 minutes or until golden. Use a spatula and transfer pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Core pear, and then cut crosswise into 12 thin rings. Top pear rings with pancetta, goat cheese and cracked pepper. Drizzle with honey before serving. Garnish with thyme sprigs (optional).
Share this Recipe
| Servings |
| 8servings |
| Servings |
| 8servings |
Ingredients
- 2 tbsps Vegetable Oil
- 1 Onion finely chopped
- 2 cups Cream Cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 2 tsps Cornstarch
- 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese grated
- 1/2 cup Monterey Jack Cheese grated
- 2 tbsps Chives finely chopped
- 2 tbsps Peperoncini finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Servings: servings
Units:
|
Ingredients
Servings: servings
Units:
|
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat vegetable oil in medium skillet. Cook onion until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
- In a blender or food processor, pulse cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, add cornstarch, ¾ cup cheddar and ¼ cup Monterey. Add cream cheese and mayonnaise mixture and cooked onion. Season dip with salt and pepper.
- Scrape mixture into 1-qt. baking dish and top with remaining cheddar and Monterey Jack. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with chives and peperoncini before serving.
Share this Recipe
Asparagus is wonderful in quiche and brie is the perfect accompaniment -- its mild, creamy flavor doesn't compete the with the aspargus. The cayenne pepper adds a little spark of heat. Don't invest in a triple creme brie for this recipe as it can be too soft to work with. Alternatively, you could use plain, unwhipped cream cheese with a little Parmesan added. This is delicious warm or at room temperature. Serve with a green salad for lunch or dinner or enjoy a wedge for breakfast!
Asparagus is wonderful in quiche and brie is the perfect accompaniment -- its mild, creamy flavor doesn't compete the with the aspargus. The cayenne pepper adds a little spark of heat. Don't invest in a triple creme brie for this recipe as it can be too soft to work with. Alternatively, you could use plain, unwhipped cream cheese with a little Parmesan added. This is delicious warm or at room temperature. Serve with a green salad for lunch or dinner or enjoy a wedge for breakfast!
| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time |
| 6 | 15minutes | 30minutes |
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 6 | 15minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 30minutes |
Ingredients
- Crust for a single crust pie - refrigerated or frozen is fine
- 4 Large Eggs
- 3 Green Onions thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 6 ounces Brie
- 1 cup half and half or light cream
- 8 asparagus spears blanched in boiling water for 3 minutes
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Servings:
Units:
|
Ingredients
Servings:
Units:
|
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F.
- Use pastry to line a 9 inch pie plate.
- Melt butter over medium heat and saute green onions for five minutes.
- Chop asparagus into pieces and add to onions.
- Slice the rind from the cheese and chop into small cubes. A thin-bladed sharp knife works best for this.
- Whisk eggs, half and half, cayenne, salt and pepper together until smooth.
- Scatter onions, asparagus and cubes of brie on pastry.
- Pour egg mixture over the top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until set and lightly browned.
Recipe Notes
Note: If you want to make this crustless, butter a 9 inch pie pan and scatter 1/2 cup panko crumbs on the bottom to lightly coat the pan. Make sure the sides of the pan are well buttered so the custard doesn't stick to them.
Share this Recipe
| Servings |
| 24sticks |
| Servings |
| 24sticks |
Ingredients
- 12 sticks String Cheese
- 1 Egg
- 2 tbsp Flour
- 5 tbsp Breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
- Cooking Spray
Servings: sticks
Units:
|
Ingredients
Servings: sticks
Units:
|
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Cut each cheese stick in half, making 24, and freeze
- Beat the egg in a bowl
- In a separate bowl, combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese
- Dip each frozen cheese stick in the flour, then egg, and then breadcrumb mix
- Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray or oil
- Bake for 4 minutes or until crispy. Don’t let them melt!
Share this Recipe
Strata means layers, and this delicious casserole is made up of layers of bread, cheese, spinach and eggs. It’s a delightful vegetarian brunch dish. If desired, you could add cooked, crumbled bacon to the layers, but it’s absolutely not necessary.
Strata means layers, and this delicious casserole is made up of layers of bread, cheese, spinach and eggs. It’s a delightful vegetarian brunch dish. If desired, you could add cooked, crumbled bacon to the layers, but it’s absolutely not necessary.
| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 8servings | 30minutes | 60minutes | 12 hours |
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8servings | 30minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 60minutes | 12 hours |
Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups Chopped Onion
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 8 pound cups cubed Italian or French bread about ¾
- 1 cup Shredded Gruyere or Swiss Cheese
- 1 cup shredded Gouda
- 9 Large Eggs
- 2 1/2 cups light cream
- 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Servings: servings
Units:
|
Ingredients
Servings: servings
Units:
|
Instructions
- If possible, place frozen spinach in a strainer over a bowl and refrigerate overnight before assembling the strata. Press thawed spinach against the strainer to squeeze water out. Then wrap spinach in cheesecloth or paper towels to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Saute onion until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and spinach and cook 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Butter a 9x13 pan or other large casserole dish.
- Spread 1/3 of the bread cubes in the prepared pan. Top with 1/3 of the spinach. Sprinkle with 1/3 of cheese. Repeat twice so that cheese is on the top.
- Whisk eggs with cream, mustard and seasonings. Carefully pour over the layered ingredients.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Heat oven to 325. Bake, uncovered, about 75 minutes, until puffy and golden. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Start checking after 60 minutes, especially if the strata didn’t come straight from the refrigerator.
Share this Recipe
This is one of those vegetable dishes that can be incredible or dreadful and it’s a thin line between the two. At its best, cauliflower cheese is cheesy, rich and comforting - the ultimate low-carb comfort food. At its worst, it’s watery with a lumpy or tasteless sauce and is the bane of children everywhere.
The first key to good cauliflower cheese is to steam it so that it isn’t soaking up water while it cooks. It may still need to be drained, but will definitely be less watery than if it was boiled. The second key is a smooth, rich cheese sauce made with sharp cheese and a bit of strong English or Irish mustard to brighten it up. Colman’s English Mustard is the most widely available and it’s what I used here. If you can’t find it, Dijon-type mustard is acceptable. Although any sharp white cheddar will work, Kerrygold’s Dubliner cheese is exceptional in this dish. It has a nutty flavor missing from some other cheddar-type cheeses.
You can make this a one dish complete meal for meat lovers by baking diced ham into it. Unless you are using leftovers from a ham you roasted, cook the ham first to get any water out of it as well!
The first key to good cauliflower cheese is to steam it so that it isn’t soaking up water while it cooks. It may still need to be drained, but will definitely be less watery than if it was boiled. The second key is a smooth, rich cheese sauce made with sharp cheese and a bit of strong English or Irish mustard to brighten it up. Colman’s English Mustard is the most widely available and it’s what I used here. If you can’t find it, Dijon-type mustard is acceptable. Although any sharp white cheddar will work, Kerrygold’s Dubliner cheese is exceptional in this dish. It has a nutty flavor missing from some other cheddar-type cheeses.
You can make this a one dish complete meal for meat lovers by baking diced ham into it. Unless you are using leftovers from a ham you roasted, cook the ham first to get any water out of it as well!
This is one of those vegetable dishes that can be incredible or dreadful and it’s a thin line between the two. At its best, cauliflower cheese is cheesy, rich and comforting - the ultimate low-carb comfort food. At its worst, it’s watery with a lumpy or tasteless sauce and is the bane of children everywhere.
The first key to good cauliflower cheese is to steam it so that it isn’t soaking up water while it cooks. It may still need to be drained, but will definitely be less watery than if it was boiled. The second key is a smooth, rich cheese sauce made with sharp cheese and a bit of strong English or Irish mustard to brighten it up. Colman’s English Mustard is the most widely available and it’s what I used here. If you can’t find it, Dijon-type mustard is acceptable. Although any sharp white cheddar will work, Kerrygold’s Dubliner cheese is exceptional in this dish. It has a nutty flavor missing from some other cheddar-type cheeses.
You can make this a one dish complete meal for meat lovers by baking diced ham into it. Unless you are using leftovers from a ham you roasted, cook the ham first to get any water out of it as well!
The first key to good cauliflower cheese is to steam it so that it isn’t soaking up water while it cooks. It may still need to be drained, but will definitely be less watery than if it was boiled. The second key is a smooth, rich cheese sauce made with sharp cheese and a bit of strong English or Irish mustard to brighten it up. Colman’s English Mustard is the most widely available and it’s what I used here. If you can’t find it, Dijon-type mustard is acceptable. Although any sharp white cheddar will work, Kerrygold’s Dubliner cheese is exceptional in this dish. It has a nutty flavor missing from some other cheddar-type cheeses.
You can make this a one dish complete meal for meat lovers by baking diced ham into it. Unless you are using leftovers from a ham you roasted, cook the ham first to get any water out of it as well!
| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time |
| 4 | 30minutes | 15minutes |
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 | 30minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 15minutes |
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower broken into florets, or 2 10-ounce packages fresh steamable cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cups ½whole milk
- 10 ounces sharp white cheddar grated
- 2 teaspoons strong English or Irish mustard
- Salt and ground white pepper to taste
Servings:
Units:
|
Ingredients
Servings:
Units:
|
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375.
- Steam the cauliflower, on the stove or in the microwave. Follow microwave directions for “steam in bag” cauliflower. Steam on the stovetop for 10 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain well.
- While the cauliflower cooks, melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in flour and cook over low heat for 3 minutes to cook off the floury taste. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Simmer sauce until it thickens, about 3 minutes.
- Add the grated cheese, one handful at a time, reserving two handfuls for the baking dish. You want about 8 ounces in the sauce and 2 for the dish. Stir well after each addition of cheese to keep the sauce smooth. Stir in mustard and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Butter a shallow baking dish, 9 x 9 or 11 x 7 inches in size. Arrange cooked cauliflower in the dish and pour the cheese sauce over all of it. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake 15 minutes, or until browned and bubbly!
Share this Recipe
| Servings |
| 6servings |
| Servings |
| 6servings |
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ancient Harvest's Gluten-Free Quinoa Macaroni
- 1 1/2 lbs Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 8 oz Cottage Cheese
- 8 oz Sour Cream
- 1/2 head Cauliflower chopped finely
- 3 tsp Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Servings: servings
Units:
|
Ingredients
Servings: servings
Units:
|
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cook the macaroni. Meanwhile, mix all of the ingredients into a large bowl. Drain the macaroni, and then add it to the bowl. Stir until well combined.
- Put the macaroni and cheese into a baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add some extra cheddar cheese on top and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese bubbles and the top turns golden brown.
Share this Recipe
| Servings |
| 6 |
| Servings |
| 6 |
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cooked Rice
- 2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese shredded
- 2 cups Shredded Rotisserie Chicken
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 12 oz Evaporated Milk
- 2 Eggs lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp Onion Powder
- 2 tbsp Dried Basil
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Melted Butter
- 1 tbsp Jalapenos diced
Servings:
Units:
|
Ingredients
Servings:
Units:
|
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
- Combine all of the ingredients in prepared casserole dish and mix well (how easy, right?)
- Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until thickened.
Share this Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1/4 cup Chopped Onion
- 3/4 cup Peas
- 1 1/2 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 can Tomato Sauce (8 ounce)
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 2 tsp Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 3 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1 can Enchilada Sauce (10 ounce)
- 1 pck Corn Tortillas (Approx. 12)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pck Sour Cream
Servings:
Units:
|
Ingredients
Servings:
Units:
|
Instructions
- Brown ground beef with onion and garlic, drain.
- Stir in the peas, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, paprika, oregano, chili powder, cumin and black pepper.
- In a separate skillet, heat one tablespoon of oil at a time, swirling to coat pan.
- Add tortillas, one at a time, for 10 seconds on each side and drain on paper towel, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.
- In a10x13 baking pan, pour in enough enchilada sauce to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Fill each tortilla with a spoonful of meat, onion and pea mixture and a sprinkle of cheese. Then roll and place each tortilla seam-side down and side-by-side in pan.
- Pour remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake in a 350° oven for 20 minutes (30 minutes if refrigerated beforehand).
- Top with a dollop of sour cream.
Share this Recipe
Cheesecake strikes fear in the heart of many otherwise competent bakers. Relax! The key to great cheesecake is not overbeating the eggs once they are added (stop as soon as they are blended in) and to follow the tips worked through this recipe: make sure the ring of your springform pan is greased, add cornstarch to your batter and put a pan of water in the oven to replicate a bain marie without the work (or risk of soggy crust!). Once you show it who’s boss, cheesecake will be your go to for elegant, decadent desserts.
Cheesecake strikes fear in the heart of many otherwise competent bakers. Relax! The key to great cheesecake is not overbeating the eggs once they are added (stop as soon as they are blended in) and to follow the tips worked through this recipe: make sure the ring of your springform pan is greased, add cornstarch to your batter and put a pan of water in the oven to replicate a bain marie without the work (or risk of soggy crust!). Once you show it who’s boss, cheesecake will be your go to for elegant, decadent desserts.
| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 12 | 45minutes | 60minutes | 60 minutes |
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 12 | 45minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 60minutes | 60 minutes |
Ingredients
- 20 cups Shortbread Cookies
- ¼ cup Melted Butter
- 3 8 ounce packages Cream Cheese, softened
- 3 Eggs
- ¾ cup Sugar
- 1 cup white chocolate pieces
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 2 cups raspberry preserves
Servings:
Units:
|
Ingredients
Servings:
Units:
|
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350. Crush shortbread cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs. Combine with melted butter and press onto the bottom only of an 8 or 9-inch springform pan. Bake crust for 8 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
- Place a baking pan of very hot water on the lowest possible rack of the oven. Place the upper rack in the middle.
- Beat cream cheese and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat on medium speed until well blended. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between each one, until melted and smooth. Stir the white chocolate into the batter by hand, and then add the cornstarch and mix gently until blended.
- Spray the sides of the springform pan with nonstick cooking spray or rub them with butter.
- Spread 1 ½ cups raspberry preserves onto the crust. Pour batter over. Dot remaining jam on top of the batter and swirl gently with a knife. Tap the side of the pan all around to eliminate air bubbles that can cause cracks. Bake for 45-60 minutes (longer for an 8-inch pan than a 9-inch) or until cake wobbles only slightly in the middle when nudged gently. Remove from oven and let cool for at least one hour. Chill until serving. Garnish with whipped cream and fresh raspberries.
Recipe Notes
If you prefer, use 2 cups graham cracker crumbs and 2 tablespoons sugar in place of the shortbread cookies. You can also swap the raspberry preserves for blackberry, strawberry or blueberry if you prefer.
Share this Recipe
