Cheese Reviews

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I’m not sure I’ve ever met a child who did not like macaroni and cheese. As a mom, it’s a quick and easy lunch or dinner for the kids, but not a personal favorite to serve adults.

Here are several ideas to dress up plain old macaroni and cheese and turn it into a true family meal that even adults will enjoy.

Start from scratch. Home made macaroni and cheese beats the taste of a box and powdered cheese any time. Here’s a simple recipe to create your base of macaroni and cheese:

1 package macaroni

1 c. grated Colby Jack cheese

1 c. grated Cheddar cheese

Sprinkle of flour

Boil your macaroni shells until soft. Place in a 9 x 13 inch pan and sprinkle enough flour to lightly cover your shells. Add grated cheeses over top. Cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 1/2 hour. Uncover for the last 5 minutes of baking.

You can add just about anything to this base. You can add ground meat, or ground turkey. You can add cut up hot dogs for the kids. You can add shredded chicken, and of course you can add any veggies you like. To make it simple add the frozen vegetable mixture. There are carrots, peas and corn in the simple mixtures.

Want some crunch for your macaroni and cheese? Add some meat to the mac and cheese and then put the mixture into a taco shell. Top with some lettuce and tomato and you have a very interesting taco.

If you enjoy spicy foods, try adding some spicy sausage to your macaroni and cheese. You can also add half a package of the hot taco seasoning mix for a macaroni and cheese with a kick. You can also add a teaspoon full of hot sauce to the casserole.

Have you ever made a 7 layer dip? Try using hot macaroni and cheese as your base. Then add sliced olives, sliced onions and diced tomatoes on top. Grab some tortilla chips and start dipping.

Have fun with your mac and cheese. Add whatever you have in the refrigerator and create your own wonderful combinations.

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Dutch Oven cooking is fun and easy. Dutch oven recipes are abundant and adapting them from your favorite home recipes is easy. With a little experience you’ll find that it is fairly simple to cook with your Dutch oven. Here are some easy Dutch oven recipes to try:

Easy Dutch Oven Mountain Man Hash

1 lb. Bacon or sausage

2 lbs frozen potatoes (shredded or southern style)

1 dozen eggs

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cut bacon/sausage into smaller pieces (about 1″). Cook the bacon or sausage in the Dutch oven. Add potatoes, cover with lid with coals on top. Cook until potatoes are done, stirring occasionally. Mix eggs together in a bowl and pour on top of potatoes. Replace lid with coals on top and cook until eggs are done (shouldn’t need a long time if the lid is hot). When eggs are done, sprinkle cheese on top, replace lid and bake until cheese is melted. Serve as is, or wrap spoonfuls in warmed flour tortillas to make breakfast burritos (provide salsa).

Easy Dutch Oven Taco Pie

1 ½ lbs. Ground beef

1 medium jar of taco sauce

6 large corn tortillas

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz can of tomato sauce

Brown the ground beef and drain it. Mix the taco sauce and tomato sauce. Line the Dutch oven with tin foil and put 3 tortillas in the bottom. Put ½ of the ground beef on the tortillas and cover with ½ of the sauce. Put 3 more tortilla shells on top, and put the remaining ground beef and sauce on top of those tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Cover the Dutch oven, place a few coals on top, and bake until the cheese is melted. You could also add onions, olives, mushrooms for some variety.

Easy Dutch Oven Au Gratin Potatoes

8-10 potatoes, sliced thin

2-3 Tbsp. Melted butter or margarine

2-3 medium onions, sliced thin

15 oz can of cheese soup

¼ cup milk

½ cup cracker or bread crumbs

1 cup shredded cheese

Put a little oil in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Put a layer of potatoes in the bottom and brush with the melted butter. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Add a layer of sliced onions. Continue the layering with potatoes and onions as described until all have been used. Mix the soup with the milk and pour over the top. Sprinkle the top with the bread or cracker crumbs. Add any additional desired seasonings. Put Dutch oven over 6-8 briquets and 16-18 briquets on top. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese. Replace lid and let the cheese melt-shouldn’t take long.

Easy Dutch Oven Cowboy Stew

4 potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

1 can of corn

1 can of peas

1 can of stewed tomatoes

1 can of green beans

1 can of baked beans

1 can of tomato soup

Bay leaf

Brown ground beef and onions. Add all other ingredients (don’t drain the cans). Add bay leaf and any other desired seasonings, such as salt and pepper. Cook until the potatoes are done.

Easy Dutch Oven Cinnamon Bread

4 cans of refrigerated tube biscuits

1 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup of sugar

4 tsp cinnamon

Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Mix the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a zip-lock bag. Put the biscuit quarters in the bag and shake until they are all well-coated. Place the biscuit pieces in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Melt the butter and then pour over the biscuit quarters (you can do this with another pan, or you can use the inverted lid of the Dutch oven to melt the butter). Put 6-8 coals underneath Dutch oven and 14-15 on top. Bake for 30 minutes.

Each of these is a quick and easy Dutch oven recipe and will help you get started with Dutch oven cooking. Have fun!

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Ah, cheese fondue! The aroma of meltingly pungent cheese and wine – bubbling gently and ready for dippers of bread. It’s a romantic dinner for two, or a wonderful ice-breaker for a party or get-together. It’s the perfect meal to foster intimate conversation and create lasting memories of good times by all.

Lots of Pots

Cheese fondue can be used as a meal, or as an appetizer. The pots made for cheese fondue are of heavy, heat resistant earthenware or heavy metal. A controllable heat unit that maintains low, even heat is what keeps the cheese melted and slightly bubbly without burning the cheese or over heating it. You want the consistency to be smooth and sauce-like.

If you don’t have a fondue pot, you can also use a casserole dish or one of ceramic material – it must be heat resistant! Use it over a well-regulated alcohol, canned heat, or butane flame. You can also try it over an electric hot plate or candle warmer, although this is not recommended! Other types of fondue pots are the classic fondue bourguignonne pan, electric fondue pots and chafing dishes.

Control Your Heat!

If your heat source isn’t manageable, you will end up with cheese that cools too much and the result is a big glob of hardened cheese that becomes undunkable. If your heat source is too hot, the cheese ends up being stringy and starts to separate into a globby, gooky mess.

It’s not as hard as it seems. That’s why making a small investment into a real fondue pot is worth it. Your fondue pot usually comes packaged with the right style of forks, your controllable heat source and a pan that was made for this kind of cooking.

Okay, ready to try out a great cheese fondue recipe? Look no further! I have them all right here for you. Create your own memories. Make your guests smile. Treat your family to something entirely different than Hamburger Helper. You’ll be happy you did!

What you’ll need:

- 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cup of buttermilk

- 1 lb. Swiss cheese (diced or shredded)

- 3 Tbsp flour

- 1/2 tsp dry mustard

- 1 clove of garlic (halved)

- Keilbasa sausage or other dippers*

- Asparagus Tips or other dippers*

- Fondue pot or equivalent

If you choose to use processed Swiss cheese, just be aware that it tends to thicken up more readily than natural cheese and normally needs to be thinned if it stands very long.

First, heat the buttermilk and garlic halves in a pot. Once the buttermilk is heated through, remove the garlic halves. Don’t bring to boiling point. Then combine the cheese, flour, and seasoned salt. Add to the hot liquid by small handfuls and stir until all the cheese is uniformly melted and blended.

Next, place the buttermilk cheese sauce mixture over a low flame (your canned heat or equivalent) to keep the cheese simmering gently – you don’t want it to boil! You might find you’ll need to add a little more of whatever liquid you have left to keep the cheese properly thinned and for a good dipping consistency.

This yummy recipe serves 5 or 6 as an appetizer and easily serves 2 for a meal. For a variation on the theme, try Swiss Cheese Dipping Sauce.

*Some other dipper ideas are small cubes of cooked ham and toast to dip into the melted cheese. Chill your tender asparagus spears and serve with the Keilbasa. Can also be served with cherry tomatoes and rye bread slices.

At the table dip your dippers into the cheese and use the rye bread to catch the drips from pot to plate. YUMMY!

Check out the histories of food, little tidbits of info, and some great recipes at http://www.easy-appetizer-recipes.com. You won’t be disappointed!

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You might not be obese, but you are very likely part of the 70% of people in the US who are overweight. This number is continuing to grow quickly, but with the help of a healthy weight loss platform you can learn many tricks to get rid of those cottage cheese thighs for good! Learn some of the following:

- A muscle that you can use to blast weight loss

- What to eat and when

- How to eat more and lose more

- The secrets of using water in your diet

- How to drop 14 lbs in 14 days

Drop the ridiculous fad diets that you have been trying. They don’t work. Have you ever heard of some of the following ridiculous diets?

- Cayenne pepper, syrup, and water for a week!

- Ridiculous boxed meals that limit your choices!

- Atkins or ‘all meat’ diets!

These kinds of dieting fads might be all the rage right now, but they are not the types of programs that promote healthy weight loss. To get rid of cottage cheese thighs now, and keep them gone forever, people need to work hard and utilize a good, solid, healthy weight loss system.

A lot of different people throughout the world have had success with one particular program – Strip That Fat. Check out some of their comments here:

“It has only been a few weeks but I have been able to lose some weight already and actually keep it off. I have been on countless amounts of meds and tried numerous types of diets, but nothing has helped me as much as the program at Strip That Fat has. You’ve changed my life!!” – Lisa, Manchester, UK

“We almost forgot to send you a note about our success we have had with your program. I say WE because our whole family has taken part in the Strip That Fat diet program. We each created our own diet plans and have stuck to our guns. Our family (2 kids, 2 parents) has lost a combined weight of over 60 pounds in just over 5 weeks. Thanks a million!” – The Grates Family, Arizona, USA

“STF is the bomb. I can’t believe I have spent $1000’s on diet schemes over the years. I will never have to spend a dime on crap again now that I have your program.” – Jacob, California, USA

Get rid of your cottage cheese thighs by learning how to lose weight in a healthy way.

You can burn more calories to get rid of cottage cheese thighs!

Where to buy cheap prices? -Danish Emmental-7 Lb Loaf



*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 05, 2010 15:15:08

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If you like Caesar salad, but don’t want to spend a lot of time making it, whip up this quick recipe for Caesar salad.

1 medium head Romaine lettuce

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup croutons

Caesar Dressing

Directions

Mash with a fork in a shallow bowl, the following: 1/4 teaspoon prepared mustard sauce, 6 anchovy fillets and 1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/3 cup olive oil.

Tear washed and dried Romaine into pieces and place in salad bowl. Pour over dressing and toss lightly. Add Parmesan cheese, pepper and croutons.

=> Caesar Salad Recipes: Golden Caesar Salad

You can make this Caesar salad with ingredients you probably already have around the kitchen.

2 bunches Romain lettuce

Pinch of sugar

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 bottle golden Caesar salad dressing

Croutons

Directions

Mix all ingredients together top with croutons.

=> Best Caesar Salad Recipe: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Here’s a scrumptious chicken Caesar salad recipe that features chicken, pepper, garlic,croutons and cheese. It’s much heartier than the regular version.

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound boneless chicken

1/2 teaspoon each salad and pepper (divided)

2 teaspoon garlic

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 dashes hot pepper sauce

2 slices bread of choice (cut crust and cube)

3 tablespoon ground Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat broiler. Salt and pepper chicken; place 3 inches from broiler. Cook completely. Cut chicken into 1/4-inch strips. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet; add bread cubes and cook until light brown. Drain and cool.

In a salad bowl, mix garlic.1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Add in the lemon juice, mustard, pepper sauce and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; mix well. Gradually add 1/3 cup oil; blend well.

Add chicken and coat well. Add lettuce, bread cubes and cheese; toss well.

=> Fiesta Caesar Salad Recipe: Mexican Caesar Salad

Here’s an original Caesar salad that has a real kick to it. It features roasted peppers, Jack cheese, beef, and tortilla chips.

1/2 red pepper, julienned & roasted

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Tortilla chips for garnish

2 plum tomatoes

1/4 cup pinon nuts

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

4 bunches fresh basil

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 anchovy strips (or as desired)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

12 oz. Beef fillet (must be all 1 piece)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 tablespoon ground coriander

Pinch white pepper

Directions

Combine chili powder, granulated garlic, cumin, coriander and white pepper; coat the tenderloin with the spice mixture. Coating should be about 1/8 inch thick. Roast for 15-20 minutes until medium. Allow meat to cool.

Meanwhile, combine pinon nuts, garlic, basil, lemon juice, anchovies and Parmesan in a food processor. Continue to process while adding the olive oil in a slow drizzle. Use a feed tube if possible. If the mixture is too thick, add a bit of warm water or lemon juice.

Cut the lettuce across the leaves as for a standard Caesar salad, and toss it with the dressing. Put on plates, top with shredded cheese and place 3 to 4 strips of meat per serving atop the salad. Garnish with tortilla chips, quartered tomatoes, the red pepper strips and a dollop of dressing on each meat strip.

A mild cow’s milk cheese infused with truffles and zesty spices, this is really a unique preparation. Italy produces a limited variety of truffle cheeses, but once you’ve found the one you love, it’ll be hard to let go. Imported from Italy.

• In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto

The only reason this doesn’t have 5 stars, is it arrived in an almost liquid state. Thankfully it had been packaged very tightly and kept it’s shape. I don’t know what more you could do, they packaged it in an insulated bag with two ice packs. The August Florida heat is just too much for mailing soft cheeses I guess. I wasn’t a big problem, as I was going to cook with it anyway. It has a great truffle odor, every time I get a sniff of it, I smile!

Where to buy cheap prices? -Sottocenere Al Tartufo



*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 04, 2010 19:15:47

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Havarti is semi-soft Danish cow’s milk cheese named after the experimental farm where it was first made in the 1800s. Havarti has a buttery aroma and can be somewhat sharp in the stronger varieties. The taste is also buttery, and from somewhat sweet to very sweet, and it is slightly acidic. It is typically aged about three months, though when it is older it gets more salty and has a hazelnut flavor. When left at room temperature, the cheese tends to soften quickly. Flavored variants of Havarti include: cranberry, caraway, dill, peppered, jalapeno and garlic.

Havarti is a popular match with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or light-bodied Pinot Noir wine. Great food accompaniments are: smoked turkey, figs, raisins, walnuts, whole grain breads, pears and apples.

Nutrition: 1 slice of Havarti equals 1 oz., Calories: 120, Protein: 6.0 g, Carbohydrates: 0.0 g, Total Fat: 11.0 g, Fiber: 0.0 g, Calcium: 150 mg.

Recipes:

Havarti-Feta Cheese Ball

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup shredded Havarti cheese

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 tablespoon marsala wine

3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (1/4 tsp dry)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

2 medium green onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell peppers

crackers for serving

Beat cheeses, wine, oregano and green onion in medium bowl with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl frequently, until fluffy. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm enough to shape. Shape cheese mixture into a ball; roll in parsley and bell pepper. Serve with crackers. Makes 1 and 3/4 cups. Can freeze up to 2 months wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. To serve from freezer, unwrap cheese ball and let stand at room temp to thaw, or thaw loosely wrapped in refrigerator at least 8 hours. Refrigerate tightly covered up to 1 week.

Greek Baked Havarti Chicken

*Baked chicken breasts marinated in Italian dressing and Greek seasoning, topped with Havarti cheese, green chili pepper, and sautéed mushrooms. Pairs beautifully with long grain rice and steamed vegetables.

INGREDIENTS

o 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

o 1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

o 2 (4 ounce) cans whole green chili peppers, drained and sliced lengthwise

o 4 ounces sliced Havarti cheese

o Greek Dressing

o Greek Seasoning

o 1 tablespoon butter

o ½ teaspoon dill

o 1 tablespoon white cooking wine

o 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

o ½ teaspoon fresh, chopped, garlic

o salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Marinate chicken in Italian Dressing and Greek Seasoning, if using, for a minimum of 30 minutes.

3. Place chicken in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with additional Greek seasoning, if desired, and bake in preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until no longer pink in center and juices run clear.

4. Shortly before chicken is done, melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until bubbling. Pour in wine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and dill, and bring to a boil. Stir in mushrooms. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt as needed.

5. Remove chicken from the oven. Lay green chili slices on top of each breast, then top each chili with a slice of cheese. Return to the oven until cheese has melted.

6. Remove chicken from the oven, top with mushrooms and their pan juices, and serve.

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I don’t know about you, but I love eating out at restaurants. The problem is that my budget doesn’t always support it since even a simple meal out at a restaurant can cost an arm and a leg. The good news is that rather than having to miss out on your favorite meals because you are on a limited budget you can use a “copycat recipe” to make your favorite restaurant dishes at home.

These recipes are reverse engineered to make a dish that tastes just like that one you have at the restaurant. The difference is that instead of having to pay the huge price tag for a restaurant meal, you just pick up the ingredients at the grocery store and make it yourself for a fraction of the cost. Not only that, but by making it yourself you get leftovers, too, which is always a good thing!

As an example, here’s a copycat recipe that I have for Applebee’s Cheese Chicken Tortilla Soup.

2 tsp. minced fresh garlic

1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

4 Cups chicken stock

1/4 cup green pepper, chopped

1 can tomato puree (15 oz.)

1 Tbsp. finely minced jalapeño pepper (optional)

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. hot sauce (optional)

1 tsp. chili powder (optional)

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

4 Tbsp. flour

1/2 Cup water

1 lb. cooked chicken, cubed or pulled

1 Cup cream

1/4 Cup non-fat sour cream

8 oz. processed cheese, 1-inch cubes

10 (6-inch) colored or yellow corn tortillas, 1/4-inch strips, fried

Roughly chopped Fresh cilantro (optional)

Sauté oil, garlic and onions in large pan until soft. Add the vegetable oil, chicken stock, green pepper, tomato puree, jalapeño pepper, salt, pepper, sugar, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Bring to low boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Cut tortillas into 1/4-inch strips and fry in oil or spray with oil and bake at 400ºF (while soup is cooking). Sprinkle with salt if desired. Thoroughly mix flour and water, then whisk into soup. Bring to a low boil, then simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream and cheese (to taste). The soup should be served at 165ºF. After serving soup, pile tortilla strips into a “haystack” shape on top of the soup. Optional: garnish with freshly chopped cilantro. Makes 6-8 servings

This recipe is delicious and is really great for cold winter nights since soup is always a warm, filling meal. One of the great things about this recipe is that it makes enough to feed an entire family and is pretty cheap to make. Even if you just have one or two people to feed the leftovers can be easily stored and feed you for a few days. It’s a great way to get restaurant-style soup on an eat at home budget.

The name Raclette means ’scraper’ and refers to a group of gourmet cheeses which are melted to make a traditional Swiss dish of the same name. These are mountain cheeses made originally in the Vallais region but are now produced throughout Switzerland. Although the French also produce a fine Raclette, we believe that the traditional Swiss Raclette cheese is superior and demanding of your selection. The texture of the Raclette is very smooth and it seems to melt in the mouth even without heating. The aroma is strongly reminiscent of the farm with a mixture of fruit and wine aromas. The taste is usually equally strong, with rich wine-like notes, and a tangy accent. We have 3 sizes, a half wheel, a quarter wheel or individual 8-oz pieces.

Where to buy cheap prices? -Raclette half wheel (5 pounds) by Gourmet-Food.com



*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 03, 2010 17:00:30