December 1, 2012

Do You Have A Favorite Cheese?


Though I make every effort to remain in a state of veganism, cheese is often what gets the best of me.

Cabot Cheese has an incredible array of cheeses! My household erupted into joy figuring out ways to eat these fresh, delightful, cheese varieties!


Hot Habanero
Smokey Bacon
XSharp Cheddar

50% reduced fat cheese

75% reduced fat sharp
I made a scrumptious Spinach Au Gratin with the hugely spicy Hot Habenero.
My beautiful god-daughter (here below) enjoyed eating a Sharp Cheddar, apple, bagel sandwich. 


If you too enjoy cheese, help yourself to some of these delicious recipes!

Thanksgiving Leftover recipes:

Turkey Pot Pie

Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
Filling
4 cups diced cooked turkey
3 cups turkey gravy (thin with broth or water if needed)
1 cup additional diced cooked vegetables (such as carrots, onions, fennel, green beans, peas or celery)
Beth’s Best Biscuits
6 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold Cabot Salted Butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces Cabot Sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 cup)
2 cups very cold low-fat 1% milk

Directions:

To make filling:
1. In large saucepan, combine turkey, gravy and vegetables; stir over medium heat until hot. Transfer to 9-by-13-inch baking dish, making sure turkey is covered with gravy.

To make biscuits and finish pie:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; add butter and work into dry ingredients with pastry blender or fork.
3. Stir in cheese. Gradually stir in milk.
4. Turn dough out onto well-floured surface and knead gently (do not overwork). Roll out into 1-inch-thick layer. Cut out biscuits with round cutter or small glass.
5. Arrange biscuits on top of filling. Place extra biscuits on baking sheet.
6. Bake pot pie and biscuits for about 15 minutes or until golden.
Recipe courtesy Beth Kennett, Liberty Hill Farm.

Cranberry Cheddar Pita Bites

Makes 32 bites

Ingredients:
2 (8-inch) pita breads, whole-wheat or white
1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce or chutney
5 ounces Cabot Horseradish Cheddar or Cabot Sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/4 cups)

Directions:
1. Place one oven rack in upper position and one in center position. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with foil.
2. Cut each pita bread into eight 2-inch rounds with biscuit or cookie cutter. Split each round in two. Arrange on baking sheet and bake on center rack for 6 to 8 minutes or until crisp and toasted.
3. Adjust heat to broil. Top each toasted pita round with 1/2 teaspoon cranberry sauce and top with cheddar, dividing it evenly among them.
4. Broil, carefully monitoring and rotating as necessary, for 30 seconds to 3 minutes or until cheese is evenly melted. Cool slightly before serving.

Turkey, Two-Potato and Cheddar Hash

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:
3 cups (1/2-inch) peeled and diced sweet potatoes (about 1 pound)
3 cups (1/2-inch) peeled and diced russet potatoes (about 1 pound)
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 large cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
4 cups finely chopped leftover cooked turkey*
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
About 1/3 cup leftover turkey gravy, warmed
8 ounces Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar or Extra Sharp Cheddar, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 2 cups)*

Directions:
1. Place rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. On large baking sheet with sides, toss together sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, onions, olive oil, salt and pepper. Tuck garlic cloves into corner of baking sheet.
2. Roast potatoes for 30 to 35 minutes or until tender and lightly colored, scraping them up with metal spatula every 10 minutes to loosen and turn.
3. When potatoes are done, remove garlic cloves from corner and chop/mash into puree; stir back into potatoes until evenly distributed. Cover potatoes with dish towel and set aside to cool.
4. In large bowl, combine potato mixture, turkey, parsley and thyme, tossing gently to blend. Add just enough of gravy to moisten hash. Add cheese and toss again. Spread hash in large shallow (2-quart) baking dish or oven-proof skillet (Hash can be made in advance up to this point; cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.)
5. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake hash for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned on top.
* If you don’t have leftover turkey, use the meat from 2 fresh bone-in turkey thighs (2 1/2 pounds total), braised in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours at 325°F until very tender. Moisten the hash with the cooking liquid, boiled down to about 1/3 cup.

Harvest Stuffed Turkey Burgers with Cranberry Mayo 

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey (breast meat only)
1/4 cup cranberry sauce
4 ounces Cabot Sharp Light Cheddar, cut into 4 (1-ounce) slices
Vegetable cooking spray
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 mixed-grain hamburger buns
8 large leaves arugula, rinsed and patted dry
Directions:
1. Shape ground turkey into 8 thin patties. Spread 1 tablespoon of cranberry sauce in center of each of four of patties and top with 1 slice cheese; place remaining 4 patties on top, pinching edges together to seal.

2. Lightly coat large nonstick pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Cook burgers for 4 minutes per side, or until well done. (Alternatively, cook on grill.)

3. Season with salt and pepper. Place on buns and top with Cranberry Mayo and arugula.

Cranberry Mayo:
1 tablespoon cranberry sauce
3 tablespoons light mayonnaise

1. In small bowl, stir together cranberry sauce and mayonnaise; cover and refrigerate until serving time.


~ Enjoy!

2 comments:

Regan @ Cabot Creamery said...

I love these recipes, of course.. but have to say I'd like to have that bagel + apple + Cheddar sandwich just as much!

On behalf of the farmers who own Cabot, thanks for your support.

Unknown said...

Wonderful to have a great product to be excited about! So thank you! There's nothing better than experimenting with cheese!!