Tag Archives: cheese

Mexican Lasagna

Posted in beef, main dishes by

The weather this past week was such a tease. Several days of warm-enough-for-just-a-sweatshirt, and now we’re back to endless cold and snow. Granted, we’re fairing better than a lot of the country, but I’m still bitter. I’m ready for spring.

Until it gets here, I’m going to be all about comfort food.

Mexican Lasagna 1

This dish is a fusion of two of our favorites – Tex-Mex and Italian. Lasagna is layered with taco meat, refried beans, and cheese, then topped off with your favorite taco toppings.

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Cheese Danish

Posted in breakfast, dessert by

Happy National Cheese Lover’s Day!

I don’t always celebrate this arbitrary food holidays, but National Cheese Lover’s Day is just one I couldn’t ignore.

cheese danish 2

Cheese danishes are a favorite of mine. Whenever we find ourselves somewhere with a spread of pastries, I always snatch up the cheese one before anyone can take it on me. Knowing how ridiculously easy it is to make them at home? Really dangerous.

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Smoked Macaroni and Cheese on the Grill with Smokin O’s #CookoutWeek #Sponsored

Posted in main dishes, pasta, sides by

Disclaimer: I received free product in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

I never really considered macaroni and cheese a cookout food – until I had kids. Now, macaroni and cheese is an all-the-time food. I’ve been dreaming up an on-the-grill version for a while and I knew Cookout Week was the perfect opportunity.

It was also a great chance to try out Smokin O’s. Smokin O’s is one of our Cookout Week sponsors and they sent us a sampler pack to try out. Smokin O’s are a great way to add smoked flavor on a gas grill – this recipe features an Applewood Smokin O.

And this makes a creamy, delicious, smoky mac and cheese with almost no effort. It’s a perfect cookout dish!

SmokedMacCheese

Smoked Macaroni and Cheese on the Grill with Smokin O’s
(a Kate’s Recipe Box original)

2 1/2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
2 Tbsp. melted butter
3 cups milk
2 cups half and half
16 oz. shredded cheddar jack cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 Applewood Smokin O
Green onions, for topping
Chopped bacon, for topping

Prepare the grill with the Smokin O. Directions are here.

Spray a disposable 9×11″ pan with non-stick spray.  Pour in the elbow macaroni. Pour the melted butter, milk, and half and half into the pan an stir to combine. Stir in the cheese, salt, pepper, mustard and paprika.

Place the pan on the grill over indirect heat with the cover closed. Cook for 1 hour 45 minutes to two hours – stirring every 10 minutes for the first 40 minutes.

When cooked, top with green onions and chopped bacon before serving.

Enchilada Rice Skillet

Posted in main dishes, vegetarian by

We’re officially into the phase of Lent where meatless Fridays feel like a chore. The new meals I was most excited to make have already been tried out and I’m trying really, really hard not to just fall back on pizza and fish sticks.

This meal was a bit of a compromise. I had something veggie-packed and healthier planned – but cheesy comfort food sounded much better for the night. And it was.

We topped leftovers with grilled chicken and pulled pork for lunches the next day – both were great!

EnchiladaRiceSkillet.JPG

Enchilada Rice Skillet
(from Budget Savvy Diva)
Serves 4

1 cup rice, uncooked
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce
1/2 cup of green salsa
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
Pinch of Salt and Pepper
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

Cook rice according to package directions.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the garlic, onion, and pepper and cook until onion is soft and translucent  – about five minutes.

Add in rice, corn, black beans, enchilada sauce, green salsa, and spices. Mix until well combined and cook for an additional five minutes, until everything is heated through.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top and cover. Cook until cheese is melted and serve immediately.

What’s Baking: Ham and Cheese Quiche

Posted in breakfast by

whatsbaking

This What’s Baking? round was all about quiche – which was pretty perfect since it overlapped with Easter. I’m just getting this up now (because, life) but this was our Easter breakfast, along with fruit salad and Easter bread. It’s a great breakfast or brunch dish because it can be made ahead and reheated easily. It’s also a great way to use up some extra ham!

The host for this round is Liz from Books ‘n Cooks. Be sure to check out her blog later this month for a full roundup of all the delicious quiches bloggers made!

HamandCheeseQuiche

Ham and Cheese Quiche
(a Kate’s Recipe Box original)
Makes 1 quiche

1 refrigerated sheet of pie dough
1 cup ham, diced
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp. chopped green onions

Preheat the oven to 450F degrees. Grease a pie dish and press the pie dough into the pan, pinching the edge as needed. Prick the bottom several times with a fork and bake for about 8 minutes, until slightly golden. Remove from oven and turn the temperature down to 350F degrees.

Spread the ham evenly on the bottom of the pie shell. Top with cheese. Whisk together the eggs and 1/2 and 1/2 and season with salt and pepper.  Pour evenly over the top. Sprinkle with chopped green onions. Bake for an additional 45-minutes, until slightly wiggly, but set. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Here’s a look at what the other bloggers made:

Spring Veggie Quiche – The Redhead Baker

Crustless Spinach & Mushroom Quiche – Eva Bakes

Crustless Kielbasa, Red Pepper, and Asparagus Quiche – Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks

Crustless Zesty Italian (Vension) Sausage, Spinach, and Red Bell Pepper Quiche – Sweet Beginnings

Crustless Caprese Quiche – Cookaholic Wife

Mini Zucchini Quiche – Books and Cooks

Ham and Cheese Quiche – Kate’s Recipe Box

Pepperoni Pizza Quiche – Cookies on Friday

What’s Baking: Strawberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Posted in cake, dessert, what's baking by

I got to pick the theme for this month’s What’s Baking and picked cheese. Of all the cheese recipes I have marked to make, I kept coming back to this one. It just looked so good.

And, it was. This is all from scratch – even the jam – so it takes a little bit of time and effort, but it’s so worth it!

Check back later this week to see what other cheese delights got baked up!

StrawberryCreamCheeseCoffeeCake

Strawberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
(from Food Wanderings in Asia)
Makes 1 8″ round cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, cold and cut into chunks

1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sour cream (not low fat)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, cut into pieces
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. water
1.5 tsp. cornstarch

 

Chop the strawberries and toss them with sugar. If you want a more jam-like layer, finely chop the berries. I wanted distinguishable berry pieces in mine so I just gave them a rough chop. Heat them in a saucepan until they release their juices – about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch. Add this to the strawberries and stir to combine. Cook a few minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

 

Using a mixer, combine the cream cheese, sugar and egg. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour and sugar. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Remove 3/4 cup of the crumbs and set aside. To the remaining crumbs, add in the baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir.
In a medium bowl, beat together the sour cream, egg and vanilla until well combined. Add this mixture to the large bowl of crumbs and stir until just combined. It will be lumpy.
Grease or line an 8-9″ springform pan. Press the cake batter evenly into the bottom, letting it rise up 1/2″ on all sides, making a well. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the well. Top with strawberry jam. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, until golden brown on the sides. Let cool for 20 minutes before removing sides of the pan and letting cool completely.

Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Posted in snacks by

Spinach dip is often a fan favorite, but this baked version – with bacon! – takes it to a whole new level.

Baked Spinach Dip 2

This hot dip has been a family go-to for years. The combo of warm cheese, bacon, spinach, and artichoke is hard to beat – and this couldn’t get easier. The dip can be mixed up a few days in advance and then just baked when you want it. It’s such a great go-to for entertaining.

Serve this with crackers or bread for dipping!

Baked Spinach Dip 1

Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip
(adapted from AllRecipes)

1/2 lb. bacon
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
14 oz. can quartered marinated artichoke hearts, drained
5 oz. container garlic-herb flavored cheese spread
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 c. mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain the grease and crumble into a bowl.

In a medium bowl, mix together the spinach, artichokes, cheese spread, Parmesan , sour cream, mayonnaise, and bacon.

Spread the dip into an 7×11″ baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Baked Spinach Dip