cheese | Good Dinner Mrs Mellen

Category: cheese
- Tomato Quiche in Phyllo Crust
  
  Posted at 9:00 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jan 12th
  Quiche is an easy delicious main meal that you can make ahead and warm up to serve. I love phyllo dough for a light crust and once you begin using the dough it’s easy to use. Garlic, shallots, and tomatoes are the filling for the quiche and the custard is made with two kinds of cheese, goat, and mozzarella.
  
  All you need for a fabulous meal is a salad loaded with radishes, cumbers, tomatoes, olives, and topped with feta cheese. I like a light lemon vinaigrette that doesn’t overpower the salad greens and veggies.
  
  12 slices Phyllo dough, thawed
  
  4 tablespoon butter, melted, Cabot creamery
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  1 large shallot, chopped
  
  2 cloves garlic, chopped
  
  3 cups assorted gourmet petit tomatoes, plus 5-6 for garnish
  
  2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  
  1 whole milk
  
  1/2 heavy cream
  
  4 large eggs
  
  4 oz crumbled goat cheese tablespoons
  
  1 cup shredded mozzarella
  
  1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  
  1/2 teaspoon pepper
  
  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  
  Heat oil in a large saute pan. A shallots and garlic cooking until translucent for about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and chopped basil. Continue to cook on medium heat for 10 minutes until the tomatoes start to burst. Set aside
  
  Coat a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Unfold phyllo dough; remove 1 sheet of the phyllo dough and place it on the pie plate. (As you work, cover the remaining phyllo dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.) Coat the phyllo sheet with melted butter. Top with the second sheet of phyllo dough on the diagonal, allowing ends to extend over the edge of the pan. Brush with butter. Repeat with remaining 10sheets of phyllo; place across phyllo in the pan in a crisscross fashion. Coat with butter. Turn under the edges of phyllo to form a rim.
  
  Gently put tomatoes mixture on phyllo pie crust.
  
  In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk, and cream together. Add cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. Pour into the phyllo crust over tomatoes. It should cover all ingredients and fill to the top of the crust. Place remaining set aside tomatoes on top.
  
  Place on a cookie sheet in case of spillage. Bake at 425 degrees for 45 – 50 minutes or until golden brown and soft set.
  
  Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Baking, Baking, cheese, Easy recipes, eggs, family meals, Farm Fresh Produce, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, Main Dish, Main Meal, One Pan Meals, Pastry, Pie, quiche, vegetable bake, Vegetarian | Tagged Cabot creamery, Phyllo dough, Tomato Quiche
- Christmas Cranberry Cheesecake
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Nov 30th
  My mother passed this recipe New York-style cheesecake to me many years ago. It is the richest cheesecake that you can make. I save it for special occasions when I want to share a show-stopping dessert that tops off dinner or a party. I have included a recipe for a pineapple glaze, or you can thickly spread sour cream on top. Or if I want to make this for a Christmas dessert I put candied cranberries on top. Either way, this cheesecake is the star of the show!
  
  Crust:
  
  1 cup sifted flour, King Arthur Flour
  
  1/4 cup sugar
  
  1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
  
  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  1 egg yolk
  
  1/4 cup butter, softened
  
  Filling:
  
  5 pkg.(8-oz) cream cheese softened, Philadelphia cream cheese
  
  1 3/4 cups sugar
  
  3 tablespoon flour
  
  2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
  
  1 1/2 grated orange peel
  
  1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  
  5 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
  
  1/4 cup heavy cream
  
  Pineapple Glaze:
  
  2 tablespoon sugar
  
  4 teaspoon cornstarch
  
  2 cans(8 1/4-oz) crushed pineapple in heavy syrup, undrained
  
  2 tablespoon lemon juice
  
  Sugared cranberries
  
  2 cups fresh cranberries
  
  1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
  
  1 cup water
  
  Preheat over to 400F. Grease the inside of the 9-inch springform pan(3 inches high). Remove side.
  
  Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, lemon, peel, vanilla. Make well in center; with a fork, blend in yolk and butter. Mix with fingertips until smooth. Form half of the dough into a ball and place it on the bottom of the springform pan. Place wax paper on top; roll pastry to edge of the pan. Remove paper. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden. Cool. Meanwhile, divide the rest of the dough into three parts. Between waxed paper roll each part 2 1/4 inch wide and 9 inches long. Assemble the springform pan with the crust on the bottom. Line sides of the pan with pastry strips, overlapping ends. Remove waxed paper. Preheat oven 450F.
  
  Filling: In a large mixer bowl, blend cheese, sugar, flour, peels, and vanilla at high speed. Beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time: beat until smooth, occasionally scraping bowl with a spatula. Beat in cream. Pour into pan. Bake 10 minutes. Lower oven to 250F. Bake 1 hour longer. Remove pan to rack to cool, 2 hours. Make glaze.
  
  Glaze: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Over medium heat, bring to boiling, stirring; boil 1 minute, or until thickened and translucent. Cool.
  
  Spread the surface of cheesecake with glaze; refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
  
  Sugared Cranberries: Bring 1 cup sugar and water to a simmer in a saucepan. Simmer until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour simple syrup into a heatproof bowl and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Add cranberries and stir to coat. Refrigerate cranberries in syrup overnight, stirred a couple times to coat with syrup.
  
  Remove cranberries from syrup and roll in the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. You’ll need to roll them a few times to get a couple layers of sugar on them.
  
  Set cranberries aside to dry for an hour or so.
  
  To serve: Loosen pastry from the side of the pan with a spatula. Remove sides of springform pan. Top with either Pineapple glaze or sugared cranberries. Serves 16
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Baking, Baking, Cake, Celebrations, cheese, Christmas, Christmas Recipes, Dessert, entertaining, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen | Tagged Cheesecake, Cranberries, King Arthur's Flour, Philadelphia cream cheese
- Winter Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Pecans and Goat Cheese
  
  Posted at 9:57 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Nov 27th
  Winter Squash with Roasted Butternut Squash, Pecans and Goat Cheese
  
  A colorful, tasty salad is a fabulous addition to your holiday table or buffet. One of my favorite fall/winter veggies is butternut squash. I use this versatile vegetable in soup, lasagna, roasted, pureed, and salads.
  
  I love this salad for its taste, vibrant color, and texture. The pecans and pomegranate arils add crunch. I have a few tips to cut down on preparation time when I make this salad. I buy bagged kale that has already been cut and washed. Then I remove the large stems from the cut kale making it easier to eat. Also softening with lemon and oil is a great tip. I use packaged butternut squash instead of peeling and cutting myself.
  
  Did I mention that this salad looks beautiful and is healthy!
  
  Ingredients
  
  FOR THE SALAD:
  
  12 oz. Shredded Kale
  
  1/2 Lemon, Juiced
  
  1 tablespoon. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  
  12 ounces. Shredded Vegetables, I used Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots
  
  2 Medium Apples, Peeled, Cored, and Diced, I used Granny Smith
  
  1 1/2 c. Candied Pecans (See Note)
  
  4 oz. weight Crumbled Goat Cheese
  
  20 ounces Roasted Butternut Squash (See Note), I purchased a cut-up Butternut Squash package
  
  1/2 cups Pomegranate Arils
  
  FOR THE DRESSING:
  
  1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
  
  4 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
  
  4 teaspoon Pure Maple Syrup
  
  1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
  
  1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  
  Directions
  
  Put the shredded kale in a large mixing bowl. Add lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. Use your hands to massage the lemon juice and olive oil into the greens, about a minute or so. The greens should wilt slightly and take on a deep green color.
  
  Add the other shredded vegetables/greens to the bowl as well as the chopped apple and pecans.
  
  Make the dressing by combining all of the dressing ingredients in a lidded glass jar. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds and then pour it over the salad. Mix well.
  
  Place greens on a long-serving plate. Add the crumbled goat cheese, butternut squash, and pomegranate arils on top. Serve.
  
  Notes:
  • To make the candied pecans, put the pecans in a small skillet with 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup and 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard. Cook on medium-low heat until nuts are toasted and sticky, 5-6 minutes. There shouldn’t be any liquid left in the pan. Add a pinch of salt and remove it from the pan to cool before adding them to the salad.
  
  • To make roasted butternut squash, put the squash on a small baking sheet. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch or two of sea salt. Roast at 425ºF until browned and soft, about 20-25 minutes.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Apples, Autumn, cheese, Christmas, Christmas Recipes, company dinner, Easy recipes, Elegant, entertaining, family meals, Farm Fresh Produce, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, Holiday Celebrations, Salad, Thanksgiving, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged butternut squash, holiday salad, pecans, pomegranate, winter salad
- Porcini Tomato Sauce over Polenta
  
  Posted at 8:20 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Nov 6th
  Porcini tomato sauce is a delicious, flavorful option to the standard sauce. I like to change it up and serve over polenta. Creamy polenta is easy to make and taste fabulous. If you prefer a vegetarian option, omit the anchovies.
  You can also make the sauce a day ahead and reheat it. Or freeze for future use.
  
  1/4 cup olive oil
  
  1 cup onion, thinly sliced
  
  2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  
  3 anchovy fillets, minced, optional
  
  1/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes
  
  1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
  
  2 tablespoons tomato paste
  
  1/2 cup dry sherry
  
  1/4 cup mushroom soaking liquid
  
  1 teaspoon salt
  
  1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes, I use Cento tomatoes
  
  2 tablespoons Butter
  
  Parmesan for serving (optional)
  
  Fresh basil for serving (optional)
  
  Directions
  
  In a bowl, soak the mushrooms in hot water for 20-30 minutes or until they become soft. Strain the mushrooms and reserve the liquid. Roughly chop the mushrooms and set aside. You can start this step while you get your pasta water ready and gather your ingredients.
  Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat and cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Strain the pasta reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
  In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes or until the onions begin to caramelize and take on some color.
  Add the sliced garlic, anchovies and crushed chili flakes and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes, stirring constantly until the anchovies melt into the oil.
  Now add the tomato paste and porcini mushrooms and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add the sherry and let it reduce for a few minutes while scrapping up all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved mushroom soaking liquid, tomatoes and salt and turn the heat to medium high.
  Bring the sauce to a gentle boil then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes. Use a potato masher or the back of your spoon to gently crush the tomatoes as the sauce cooks.
  
  Polenta
  
  3 cups Water
  
  1 cup Corn Grits – Polenta
  
  1 tsp Sea Salt
  
  2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
  
  1 cup Parmesan Cheese
  
  In a large, deep pan over high heat bring water and sea salt to a boil; gradually stir in polenta. Reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring frequently to prevent sticking until mixture is very thick (about 30 minutes); use a long-handled spoon because mixture pops and bubbles and can burn.
  
  Stir in butter. Add cheese.
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  Posted in cheese, Easy recipes, family meals, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, Italian, Tomato, Weeknight dinner | Tagged polenta, porcini tomato sauce
- Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna
  
  Posted at 10:08 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Oct 19th
  Although I enjoy all four seasons, autumn captures my heart each year, and I never want the leaves to fall and the winds to shift to winter. Maybe it’s the leaves changing from bright green to a kaleidoscope of brilliant crimson hues that dazzle even the most jaded eye. Or when the cool need a blanket morning, shift to warm light jacket afternoons. I could linger forever at this time of year.
  
  And after a relaxing summer of light, easy meals, I am ready to bake and cook for days on end. Certain flavors call out autumn to me. One of my favorites is butternut squash and sage. I purchase my squash, all peeled, and cup up for easy. If you choose, you can use a whole squash and ready it yourself. I grow sage every summer, so I have an abundance for my cooking. I love the smell of fresh sage!
  
  This lasagna is a hearty meal that my family loves. I serve it with a delicious salad and crusty bread. And I freeze leftovers for quick meals when I don’t have time to cook!
  
  For the vegetables:
  
  1 20 ounces package of peeled and cut butternut squash
  
  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
  Kosher salt
  
  1 onion, halved and sliced
  
  For the béchamel:
  
  2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
  10 sage leaves
  
  1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  
  4 cups whole milk
  
  Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  
  For the lasagna:
  
  Unsalted butter, for the baking dish
  
  1 cup grated fontina cheese (about 4 ounces)
  
  1 cup grated low-moisture mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)
  
  1 cup grated parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
  
  1 cup ricotta cheese
  
  1 egg
  
  1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  
  9 no-boil lasagna noodles
  
  8 ounces fresh mozzarella
  
  Make the vegetables:
  
  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl and place on half of a large baking sheet; season with salt. Toss the onion with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and place on the other half of the baking sheet; season with salt. Roast, rotating the baking sheet once, until the vegetables are tender, 18 to 20 minutes; set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
  
  Meanwhile, make the béchamel: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the sage and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the flour until smooth; cook, whisking, until the flour is lightly golden but not brown, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the nutmeg.
  
  Assemble the lasagna: Butter a 9-by13-inch baking dish. Toss the cheeses, egg, and flour in a bowl. Evenly coat the bottom of the dish with 1/2 cup of béchamel. Lay 3 noodles side by side on top. Cover with one-third of the remaining béchamel. Sprinkle with half of the remaining cheese mixture, then top with half of the vegetable mixture. Arrange 3 more noodles on top and repeat the layers (béchamel, cheese, vegetables). Top with the remaining 3 noodles, then cover with the remaining béchamel. Slice fresh mozzarella into six pieces and place on top. Loosely cover the dish with foil and bake until bubbly, about 45 minutes. Turn on the broiler. Uncover the lasagna and broil until browned, about 2 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Autumn, Casserole, cheese, cooking, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, Main Dish, Main Meal, pasta, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinner | Tagged Butternut Squash Lasagna, fall dinner, fresh sage
- Baked Brie with Raspberry Pepper Jelly
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Apr 6th
  1 (7-ounce) Brie wheel
  
  1/4 cup red pepper jelly, I like Stonewall Kitchen
  
  1 package (6-ounce) raspberry, save a few to garnishPre heat oven to 350F.Line baking sheet with parchment paper; place brie on paper
  
  Preheat oven to 350F
  
  In a small bowl combine pepper jelly, and raspberries, breaking up some and leaving other whole.
  
  Spoon jelly mixture on top of Brie. Bake until cheese is warm and melted, about 15 minutes
  
  Transfer to tray. Serve warm with crackers. Garnish with extra raspberries.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Appetizer, cheese, Cheese, Elegant, entertaining, Holiday Celebrations | Tagged Baked Brie, easy appetizers, Stonewall Kitchen Red Pepper Jelly
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