Cheese
2190 recipes found
Burnsie’s Cheesy Wild Rice and Chicken Soup
The Anishinaabeg have harvested manoomin, or wild rice, in the area now known as the Great Lakes for hundreds of years. Myron A. Burns Sr., who goes by Burnsie, a lifelong ricer and elder of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, combines hand-harvested manoomin, lean meat and rich dairy in a single pot to produce this hearty soup. Natural manoomin is knocked into canoe beds with wooden sticks, then dried, hulled and winnowed by community members, producing a soft, flavorful brown rice that cooks in 15 minutes. This differs from the commercially cultivated wild rice sold in supermarkets, which is grown in artificial paddies and processed by machine, producing a chewier black rice that takes at least 45 minutes to cook. You’re urged to seek out manoomin for this recipe (see Tip), but you could substitute store-bought, commercially cultivated wild rice if preferred. Top this soup with herbs and pair with crackers for a thoughtfully satisfying meal.
Poutine
Composed of freshly made French fries bathed in a rich, brown gravy and dotted with squeaky pieces of fresh cheese, poutine is a Canadian specialty with small town roots. Several restaurants claim to have invented the dish in rural Quebec, an area known for cheesemaking, either in the late 1950s or early ’60s. (In one story former restaurateur Fernand Lachance replied, “Ça va te faire une maudite poutine!”, slang for “That will make a damned mess!”, to a customer who requested cheese curds on fries. Another story links poutine to restaurant owner Jean-Paul Roy, who noticed customers were adding the curds, sold separately at his drive-in, to their fries.) Poutine has expanded beyond its rural beginning, and can be found topped with everything from bacon to duck confit. Here, the fries are made fresh (highly recommended), but frozen packaged fries can be used in a pinch. Layer poutine a bit like you would nachos, except start with cheese on the bottom of the dish, followed by the fries, more cheese and, finally, the gravy.
Strawberry Layer Cake
Summer is a soft, or strong, hue of pink in the South, depending on who is making the strawberry cake. When strawberries come alive, anywhere from early March down in Louisiana to as late as June as far up as East Tennessee, Southerners take to their strawberry cakes for as many celebrations as they can. Often referred to as church cakes in the South, layer cakes reign supreme. And strawberry layer cakes take the cake as the most sought-after style for many bakers. This recipe, with a soft and moist but sturdy crumb, uses store-bought preserves, but if you can roast your own high season strawberries, it is recommended you do so. The frosting is light and ethereal. And the color? That is all up to you and how heavy you pour the red food coloring. No matter the shade of pink you aspire to, you’ll get a regal and splendid cake worthy of any high celebration or common weekday luncheon.
Zucchini Salad With Bread Crumbs
A study in contrasts, this textured salad tops mild, gentle zucchini with a bold, invigorating mix of fried capers and toasted bread crumbs. First, you’ll soak diced zucchini in a tangy lemon-mustard dressing. While the zucchini soaks up flavor, you prepare the toppings, sautéeing capers, garlic and bread crumbs until crispy and crunchy. A dusting of Parmesan completes the dish. Serve this zucchini salad one of two ways: You can mix it all together after layering, so that the bread crumbs soak up the dressing, or divide among plates, drizzling any remaining dressing in the bottom of the bowl over everything.
Rum-Raisin Carrot Cake
This boozy variation on classic carrot cake is imbued with both freshly grated and ground ginger, giving it a spiced aroma that pairs wonderfully with the rum-soaked raisins and crushed pineapple (which makes the cake particularly tender). Rum plays a central role in this cake: It’s first used to soak raisins until plump, then the leftover liquid is added to the cake batter as well as the frosting, ensuring very little waste and a cake that lives up to its name. Slowly beating the cream cheese into the butter-sugar mixture will ensure a sturdy frosting that can stand up to the heft of the cake layers. For the creamiest frosting, be sure to take your time, as cream cheese frosting can become runny or lumpy if mixed too fast. This cake is perfect for any time of year — enjoy it as the tulips bloom, bring it to your summer barbecue or curl up with a slice next to the fire alongside a dark ’n’ stormy.
Deep Dish Pizza
What is Chicago deep dish crust meant to be? Ask any Chicagoan: It depends on what you grew up eating. The original recipe has a thinner, shallower crust than many versions from today’s pizzerias, and making it at home may be the only way to taste it. This recipe is based on the earliest known published recipe that Richard Riccardo, the founder of Pizzeria Uno, shared with the newspaper columnist Gaynor Maddox in 1945. Peter Regas, a pizza historian, finessed it over many years, and here, it’s been adapted to work in any home kitchen. All you need is a couple of 8- or 9-inch metal cake pans and an open mind. The crust in this variation is almost caky and not as fermented as other styles of deeply proofed pizza dough. The sausage is what makes this especially Chicagoan, but if you don’t eat it, you could swap out the mozzarella for provolone for more richness with the same cheese pull.
Roasted Eggplant Pasta Salad With Dates
Nature’s candy, plump and lush medjool dates add sweetness to this creamy and tangy pasta salad. Eggplant is roasted with cumin, oregano and crushed red pepper, then tossed with the dates on the hot sheet pan, using the residual heat to warm them so the flavors blend together. Mixed with cooked pasta, feta and bright mint, it’s a hearty yet light dish, perfect for summer nights. To streamline this dish for weeknights, use the eggplant-cooking time to prep the finishing touches (the dates, cheese and mint). Bring any leftovers to room temperature, then refresh them with a drizzle of oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Roasted Eggplant Pasta With Dates and Feta
Nature’s candy, plump and lush medjool dates add sweetness to this creamy and tangy weeknight pasta. Eggplant is roasted with cumin, oregano and crushed red pepper on a hot sheet pan, then tossed with the dates, using the residual heat to warm them so the flavors blend together. Mixed with cooked pasta, feta and bright mint, it’s a hearty yet light dish, perfect for summer nights. To streamline this dish, use the eggplant-cooking time to prep the finishing touches (the dates, cheese and mint). Bring any leftovers to room temperature, then refresh them with a drizzle of oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Spiraled Spanakopita With Feta
The first thing you’ll notice about this savory Greek pie — called striftí spanakotyrópita in its homeland — is its alluring spiraled form. But the shape serves a purpose beyond aesthetics: It amplifies the irresistible contrast between the crunch of the crust and the tenderness of the filling by increasing the surface area of the flaky, golden, olive-oil-varnished phyllo that encases the herbaceous greens. A handful of dried currants balances the salty cheese, and fresh parsley helps bring it all to life. If you’re lucky enough to have a Greek grocery nearby, look for frozen “country-style” phyllo, which is thicker and more tender than the paper-thin variety found in most supermarkets, making it closer to the handmade dough preferred by Greek cooks.
Spanakorizo With Jammy Eggs
Bright and soulful, spanakorizo is a beloved Greek dish, with a name that reflects its combination of two key ingredients: spinach and rice. This version is fairly traditional in its essence, relying upon rice, spinach, lemon and herbs, but includes some flourishes. Though the addition of the jammy egg is not traditional, it injects a sunny burst of color, as well as added protein. For ease, this recipe calls for baby spinach (or chopped mature spinach), but frozen spinach can also be used (simply thaw it and squeeze out the water), or try a hardy green like chard or kale. A whole bunch of scallions delivers a richly aromatic base for the rice. Basmati is used here for its quick cooking time and light finish, but if you would like to use more traditional medium-grain rice, simply add an extra ½ cup of stock (2 cups total). As with any recipe, the timing is a guideline, but you should use your senses: Check your rice at the 15-minute mark, as some brands of rice will cook quicker than others.
Glazed Lamb Meatballs With Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts
Inspired by Sicilian meatballs, this dinner party-worthy dish is made with ground lamb rather than beef or pork and studded with nutty pine nuts and plump golden raisins. The pine nuts and raisins add texture, richness and pops of sweetness that pair nicely with the earthy lamb. A ricotta and bread crumb panade keeps the meatballs extra-tender. They’re browned until golden, then pan-roasted in broth to keep them moist. The broth picks up all of the lovely lamb juices for a rich pan sauce swirled with butter, bright tangy capers and basil.
Horseradish-Cheddar Tuna Melts
These no-frills, open-faced tuna melts pack a punch because horseradish and Cheddar make a rowdy pair. Jarred horseradish is a nose-tingling combination of grated horseradish, vinegar and salt, so the tuna only needs a couple tablespoons and a little mayo, garlic and black pepper to make it zesty and creamy. If you’re only serving two, the recipe halves easily, and you can broil it in a toaster oven. Eat for lunch or dinner alongside an iceberg salad, pickle spears or potato chips.
Creamy Asparagus Pasta With Peas and Mint
Sautéing asparagus in butter mellows it, bringing out its sweetness. Mixed with peas, mint, Parmesan and cream, it makes the foundation of a rich pasta dish with primavera vibes, but easier, faster and brighter, thanks to some grated lemon zest folded in at the end. If you can’t get good asparagus, feel free to substitute other quick cooking vegetables, like zucchini, corn or mushrooms. This delightful cream sauce is highly adaptable.
Garlicky Alfredo Beans
This five-ingredient recipe transforms canned beans into a no-fuss, comforting meal that’s easy to whip together at the end of a long day. The beans are doused in a creamy, garlic-infused sauce that’s inspired by Alfredo, and topped with crunchy garlic chips. Choosing the right beans for this recipe might feel intimidating, but the most important thing to remember is texture. Beans that hold their shape and won’t immediately disappear in the sauce are ideal: butter (or lima), Great Northern or garbanzo beans will make great contenders for this recipe. When pan-frying the sliced garlic into chips, you’ll want to mix attentively for the best results, since the delicate garlic chips can burn very easily. Crunchy and flavorful, they’re worth the effort.
Mushroom Queso Fundido
Sizzling and gooey, queso fundido topped with chorizo is a staple on Mexican restaurant menus across the country. But the dish likely stems from home cooks along North Mexico and South Texas. Depending on where you go, different cheeses like Monterey Jack, Chihuahua or Oaxaca cheeses are used. Bricia Lopez, an author of “Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling (Abrams, 2023)” and “Oaxaca: Home Cooking From the Heart of Mexico” (Abrams Books, 2019), and an owner at Guelaguetza, in Los Angeles, was inspired by the salsa de queso and quesillo she grew up eating at her family’s restaurant to create her version of queso fundido, which uses the Oaxaca cheese to create a great cheese pull. She also tops it with mushrooms and epazote (see Tip), a fresh herb she grew up eating with cheese.
Creamy, Spicy Tomato Beans and Greens
This weeknight wonder is for those who delight in turning a modest can of beans into a spectacular dinner. Inspired by the flavors of red pesto, this recipe calls for simmering cannellini beans with staple ingredients like onion, garlic, crushed red pepper, tomato paste and heavy cream, as well as sun-dried tomatoes and salty Pecorino, until the results taste complex and rich. Top the beans with a lemony arugula salad that is peppered with fried bread crumbs for a dish that is crunchy, chewy, crispy and creamy in every bite.
Brown Butter Bucatini With Charred Cabbage
Charred cabbage brings a complex combination of flavors, from savory to bitter to sweet, to this simple but satisfying weeknight pasta. As it cooks, the cabbage also turns silky, clinging to the bucatini like the most delicious of frills. The pecans play off the natural nutty notes of the charred cabbage and brown butter. Like cacio e pepe or other pastas that fuse melted cheese with pasta water, this dish tightens up quickly, so make sure to have plenty of pasta water on hand to loosen it as needed.
Sausage, Egg and Cheese Sandwich
A sausage, egg and cheese is the ideal belly-filling, on-the-go breakfast popular at bodegas, food carts and coffee shops. It’s impossible to replicate the deliciousness that comes from making it on a well-seasoned griddle — and by a cook who’s made thousands — but making an SEC (or a BEC) at home has its own perks. For starters, instead of pre-made sausage pucks, smashing patties of fresh sausage creates juicier meat with caramelized, crisp edges. You can also fry the egg just right, until the broken yolk is barely set (or for scrambled eggs, follow the directions here). The best part is, you can have an SEC anytime you want, even if there isn’t a deli on your corner.
Matzo Pizza
A staple during Passover, this easy snack combines a crunchy, cracker-like crust and gooey, cheesy topping spiked with optional red-pepper flakes for a fiery bite. Feel free to add your favorite pizza toppings: Olives, anchovies, dried oregano and sliced garlic and onions can all be layered on top of the cheese before baking.
Crispy Cheddar Chicken Tacos
These quick tacos use leftover or store-bought rotisserie chicken, and have a satisfying crispy Cheddar frico called a costra (crust) that is common both in taquerias in the northern half of Mexico and in the southwestern United States. In some taquerias, you can order a taco using only the costra as the shell without a tortilla. In this recipe, the tortilla and costra are layered together to wrap a simple but delicious shredded chicken and chipotle filling.
Stovetop Mac and Cheese
This is a quick from-scratch mac and cheese ideal for kids — or anyone craving the simple, pure cheesiness of creamy mac and cheese. A standard white sauce comes together with the kitchen staples of butter, flour and milk and can take any blend of cheeses, which should include a large portion of sharp yellow Cheddar for its distinctive mac-and-cheese taste and texture. But this is a great way to use up any odds and ends of cheese in your fridge. A bit of American cheese makes the sauce stretchy and extra smooth, while Gruyère and Swiss add a nice nuttiness and Parmesan and pecorino some deep savory notes.
Cheesy Shrimp Tacos
Featuring succulent sautéed shrimp, onion, poblano chile and melty cheese, these crispy, cheesy tacos — a take on tacos gobernador — veer toward quesadilla territory. Their roots can be traced back to Los Arcos, a revered Mazatlán seafood restaurant where tacos gobernador were created for a visit from the governor of Sinaloa in the early 1990s. The dish evolved over time, and today, variations abound: Ingredients can include herbs like oregano or cilantro; fresh tomato or paste; other chiles, like serrano or chipotle; flour or corn tortillas. The tacos may be grilled over an open flame or crisped in a skillet. In this version, garlic and Worcestershire sauce add zing. Pair with a favorite salsa, hot sauce and lime and adjust as you like; these tacos are customizable yet consistently tantalizing.
Baked Cheesy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta
An irresistible layer of simultaneously melty and crunchy cheese tops this simple, comforting weeknight meal. Meaty mushrooms, juicy chicken and succulent strands of spaghetti make it a recipe fit for hearty appetites, and the efficiency of doing most of the active cooking on the stovetop drastically cuts the baking time. Budget-friendly chicken breasts — which are worth stocking up on when on sale and freezing — stay tender as the pasta bakes thanks to the assistance of some broth. The results are ready in just 30 minutes, but taste like a long-baked casserole.
Sheet-Pan Quesadillas
A single quesadilla thrown together on the stovetop takes mere moments, but when you want to make a larger batch all at once, a sheet pan comes in handy. Lightly greasing the pan results in the richness of a stovetop quesadilla, and the dry heat of the oven gives you crisp tortillas and bronzed, bubbling cheese in 10 minutes. A sprinkle of salt on the tortilla maximizes its inherent nutty flavor and all it needs is cheese to be a great quesadilla. But, a little extra filling in the form of vegetables — like corn kernels and onions, or leftover beans or shredded chicken — would be welcome. Serve with the usual accouterments: raw onion, cilantro and avocado, maybe sour cream and salsa or hot sauce, whatever you like to eat with your quesadillas. This recipe makes 6 quesadillas, but that amount can easily be scaled down.